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OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


A  dozen  or  more  native: 


were  running  towards  them,  weapons  in  hand 
(Page  56) 


THROUGH    AN 
UNKNOWN  ISLE 

A  STORY  OF  NEW  GUINEA 


BT 

CHARLES  P.  CHIPMAN 

AUTHOR  OF 

'THE  LAST  CRUISE  OF  THE  ELECTRA' 
"TWO  BOYS  AND  A  DOG,"  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED   BT 

F.  GILBERT  EDGE 

* 


AKRON,   OHIO 

THE  SAALFIELD  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 
NEW  YORK  1903  CHICAGO 


COPYRIGHT  1903 

BY 

THB  SAAI.FIELD  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 


MADE    BY 

THE   WERNER   COMPANY 

AKRON,    OHIO 


PS 


TO 
MY  MOTHER 


PREFACE. 

In  the  following  pages  I  have  endeavored  to 
give,  so  far  as  is  consistent  with  the  character 
of  the  story,  a  truthful  picture  of  conditions  in 
the  great  unknown  island— New  Guinea.  The 
fact  that  the  knowledge  of  the  island  is  so  slight, 
and  that  customs  differ  widely  in  those  regions 
which  have  teen  visited,  has  made  the  task 
most  difficult.  I  believe,  however,  that  I  have  in 
a  measure  succeeded  in  my  attempt.  Only  in 
regard  to  the  ruined  city  mentioned  in  the  sec- 
ond part  of  the  tale  have  I  departed  from  well 
established  fact,  and  I  am  sure  that  even  there 
I  keep  well  within  the  bounds  of  the  possible. 

I  wish  to  acknowledge  my  indebtedness  to  the 
following  persons  for  valuable  information  con- 
tained in  their  accounts  of  what  they  saw  and 
what  they  did  in  New  Guinea : 

W.  D.  Pitcairn,  "Two  Years  Among  the  Sav- 
ages of  New  Guinea. ' ' 

Charles  Lyne,  "New  Guinea,"  (London, 
1885). 


H.  H.  Bomilly,  ''The  AVestern  Pacific  and 
New  Guinea,"  (London,  1887). 

Mr.  Lyne  was  Special  Commissioner  of  the 
Sydney  Morning  Herald  at  the  time  of  the  es- 
tablishment of  the  British  protectorate  over  the 
southern  portion  of  the  island,  and  Mr.  Romilly 
was  for  a  number  of  years  the  British  Special 
Commissioner  for  New  Guinea. 

CHARLES  P.  CHIPMAN. 

Damariscotta,  Me. 


CONTENTS. 


PART  I. 

CHAPTER.  PAGE. 

I  CAST  UP  BY  THE  SEA 13 

II  ASHORE  ON  NEW  GUINEA ,    .    .    27 

III  A  NIGHT  ALARM 41 

IV  A  SURPRISING  SALUTATION 54 

V  A  PERILOUS  JOURNEY 70 

VI  THE  GOLDEN  LILY 85 

VII  AN  APPEAL  FOR  AID 100 

VIII  AN  UNFORTUNATE  ENCOUNTER 115 

IX  A  FRUITLESS  SEARCH      128 

X  KETABU  MAKES  ANOTHER  MOVE 143 

XI  A  SERIOUS  SITUATION 156 

XII  KETABU'S  TRIUMPH 172 

XIII  SEMESSI'S  VINDICATION       183 

PART  II. 

CHAPTER.  PAGE. 

I  A  STERN  CHASE 200 

II  A  SAD  EXPERIENCE 214 

III  A  SERIOUS  MISHAP 230 

IV  THE  HEAD  HUNTERS        244 

V  DELIVERANCE  AND  DANGER       260 

VI  HARRIE'S  DISCOVERY 275 

VII  CAPTURE  AND  ESCAPE 291 

VIII  LOST  TREASURE       . 306 

IX  A  FATAL  MISTAKE 320 

X  DARK  DAYS 334 

XI.  ALL'S  WELL  THAT  ENDS  WELL    ....  .    350 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

A  dozen  or  more  natives  were  running  towards  them, 

weapons  in  hand Frontispiece 

Along  the  dripping  rocks,  Semessi  conducted  them  ...     90 

He  saw  the  body  of  the  aged  priest  lying  prone  upon  the 

floor 180 

"  A  sail!  a  sail!  "he  cried 270 


THROUGH  AN 


UNKNOWN  ISLE 


A  STORY  OF  NEW  GUINEA 


PART  I 


THE  GOLDEN  LILY 


Through  an  Unknown  Isle. 

PART  I. 

CHAPTER  I. 

CAST  UP  BY  THE  SEA. 

THE  sun  came  up  out  of  a  waveless  sea  into  a 
cloudless  sky.  Below,  the  ocean  lay  in  oily 
smoothness,  dull  yellow-green  in  color,  unbroken 
save  by  the  long  and  regular  swell;  above,  the 
domed  vault  of  heaven  seemed  brazen,  and 
scarcely  less  glowing  than  the  god  of  day  him- 
self. 

Far  out  towards  the  western  horizon  a  small, 
black  speck  rose  and  fell  with  the  water  upon 
which  it  rested.  At  first  glance  it  seemed  to  be 
little  more  than  a  bit  of  drifting  wreckage,  but  a 
closer  look  revealed  it  to  be  an  open  boat.  With- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE 

in  it  lay  three  outstretched  forms,  apparently 
lifeless. 

As  the  sun  mounted  higher  in  his  course,  send- 
ing his  burning  rays  down  upon  the  upturned 
faces  of  the  trio,  they  stirred  uneasily,  as  if  un- 
pleasant dreams  disturbed  their  slumbers,  and 
presently  they  awoke,  one  by  one,  to  sit  up 
weakly,  and  stare  off  over  the  heaving  sea  with 
bloodshot  eyes. 

One  of  the  three,  a  man  of  about  forty-five, 
turned  and  addressed  his  companions,  lads  of 
about  seventeen  years  each. 

"It's  the  same  old  story,  boys,"  he  said  in  a 
voice  that  was  harsh  from  thirst.  " There's 
nothing  to  be  seen—  neither  land,  nor  vessel.  For 
one  day  more  at  least  we  must  endure  this  tor- 
ment. How  are  you  feeling  this  morning?" 

"Nicely,  sir,"  came  the  response  from  both  at 
once.  "Thanks  to  your  self-sacrifice  we  are 
suffering  but  little." 

"How  much  water  have  we  left,  Leigh?"  the 
first  speaker  now  inquired. 
The  lad  in  the  bow  answered : 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"A  trifle  more  than  two  quarts,  sir." 

"And  how  many  sea  biscuits,  Harriet"  the 
man  went  on. 

The  second  youth  bent  over  a  small  tin  box 
before  he  replied. 

"Twelve,  father,"  he  said  at  length. 

1 '  And  this  is  our  thirteenth  day  in  the  yawl,  is 
it  not?"  came  the  query. 

"Yes,"  Leigh  returned,  ''and  that  makes  it 
Sunday." 

"I  wonder  where  we  will  be  when  another 
Sabbath  comes?"  mused  the  man.  "May  the 
Lord  grant  that  it  be  not  in  this  boat ! ' '  Then 
rousing  himself,  he  continued  more  cheerfully : 

"Come,  Harrie,  pass  out  the  crackers!  We 
must  eat  our  allowance  now,  before  our  appe- 
tites grow  any  larger." 

The  youth  smiled  faintly,  and  handed  one  of 
the  hard  cakes  to  each  of  his  companions,  taking 
a  third  for  himself,  while  'Leigh  poured  a  few 
swallows  of  water  from  a  wicker-covered  demi- 
john into  a  small  tin  cup,  which  he  set  down 
upon  the  middle  thwart,  where  all  could  reach  it. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

In  silence  the  trio  ate,  dipping  their  biscuit 
into  the  cup  to  moisten  them,  for  the  dry  food 
clung  to  their  parched  throats.  When  the  last 
morsel  had  disappeared  each  in  turn  received 
a  meagre  draft  of  the  precious  fluid,  and  thus 
the  meal  closed. 

Two  weeks  before  the  same  party  had  par- 
taken of  their  last  breakfast  on  board  the  May- 
flower, Dr.  Thornton's  sumptuous  private  yacht. 
The  three-Dr.  Edward  Thornton,  a  wealthy 
specialist  of  San  Francisco,  his  only  son,  Harrie 
and  Leigh  Wilbur,  the  latter's  room-mate,-' 
were  on  an  extensive  tour  among  the  islands  of 
the  western  Pacific. 

For  several  months  they  had  been  sailing 
hither  and  thither,  touching  now  at  this  group 
now  at  that,  and  all  the  time  working  to  the' 
south  and  west,  until  they  were  approaching  the 
coast  of  that  greatest,  and  least  known,  of  all 
islands,  New  Guinea. 

Thus  far  the  voyage  had  been  a  most  pros- 
perous one,  but  on  this  eventful  morning  there 
came  a  change.  Almost  without  warning  a  tern- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

pest  had  arisen,  and  before  any  preparations 
could  be  made  for  weathering  the  gale,  it  was 
upon  them.  Right  nobly  did  the  Mayflower  bat- 
tle with  the  elements,  seeming  almost  human  in 
her  struggle  for  existence.  And,  indeed,  it 
seemed  for  a  time  that  the  little  craft  would 
win  in  the  stubborn  fight,  when  there  came  a 
bolt  of  lightning,  striking  the  yacht  directly  over 
the  engine-room,  demolishing  the  machinery, 
killing  the  engineer,  and  setting  fire  to  the 
wreckage. 

In  an  instant  all  was  confusion.  Neither  of 
the  trio  could  recall  how  or  when  they  launched 
and  provisioned  the  yawl.  They  could  only  re- 
member dimly  that  the  larger  of  the  two  life 
boats  was  filled  with  the  crew  and  pulled  away 
from  the  burning  vesse'l,  while  they  tumbled  ha- 
stily into  their  own  frail  refuge,  and  somehow 
got  away  before  the  Mayflower  went  down. 

That  the  yawl  outrode  the  storm  was  a  mir- 
acle. For  hours  they  battled  with  wind  and 
wave,  despairing  of  life,  and  expecting  each  mo- 
ment to  feel  the  waters  closing  about  them.  Yet 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

the  passing  of  the  tempest  found  them  still 
afloat,  though  exhausted  by  the  struggle.  Noth- 
ing was  ever  seen  of  the  other  boat,  and  the  cast- 
aways wondered  little.  Their  own  experience 
taught  them  the  probable  fate  of  their  compan- 
ions. 

And  now  for  thirteen  days  they  had  been 
drifting  on  beneath  the  tropic  sun,  hoping  and 
fearing,  looking  for  the  rescue  that  never  came. 
Gradually  their  small  store  of  food  and  water 
had  lessened,  until  they  found  themselves  con- 
fronted by  that  most  horrible  of  deaths,  unless 
some  speedy  relief  were  forthcoming. 

When  the  last  drop  of  water  had  been  drained 
from  the  tin  cup,  and  it  had  been  returned  to  its 
place  beneath  the  forward  thwart,  the  little 
group  resumed  their  old  attitude  of  listless,  in- 
different waiting.  The  time  had  passed  when 
they  could  while  away  the  hours  in  conversation. 

The  morning  wore  away  in  silence,  save  for 
an  occasional  exchange  of  low  toned  remarks 
between  the  youths.  Shortly  after  noon,  how- 
ever, a  change  in  the  weather  became  noticeable. 

-18- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

The  ocean  no  longer  lay  in  the  oily  smoothness 
of  intense  calm,  but  a  faint  breeze  rippled  its 
surface  into  tiny  wavelets.  Even  the  drifting 
yawl  felt  the  impetus,  while  to  the  castaways 
it  was  a  most  welcome  relief  from  the  monotony 
of  previous  days.  Nor  was  it  a  mere  passing 
flaw.  Hourly  the  wind  increased,  until,  by  mid- 
afternoon,  it  was  blowing  fresh  and  strong  from 
the  northeast. 

Harrie^noticing  the  impulse  given  to  the  boat 
by  the  breeze,  took  two  of  the  oars  and  propped 
them  upright  just  aft  the  forward  thwart.  Then 
he  fastened  to  these  improvised  masts  a  blanket 
which  lay  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  extending 
it  as  far  as  the  sticks  would  allow. 

The  advantage  of  this  arrangement  was  im- 
mediately apparent,  for  the  yawl  moved  through 
the  water  at  quite  a  brisk  pace.  With  a  smile 
of  satisfaction  the  lad  walked  to  the  stern,  and 
seated  himself  at  the  tiller. 

"We  may  as  well  get  the  full  benefit  of  our 
sail,"  he  remarked  with  some  animation  to  his 
companions,  who  had  watched  his  movements 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

with  mild  interest.  " There's  no  telling  what 
may  come  from  a  voyage  of  a  few  miles." 

Leigh  nodded  with  brightening  eyes  as  he  re- 
turned : 

"It  will  at  least  give  us  something  new  to 
think  about." 

For  the  remainder  of  the  day  the  little  craft 
continued  its  advance,  and  when  evening  came 
the  lads  insisted  upon  taking  turns  as  helms- 
man, steering  by  the  stars,  the  direction  having 
first  been  determined  by  means  of  a  tiny  com- 
pass attached  to  Leigh 's  watch  chain.  The  wind 
held  brisk  all  night,  and  when  morning  came  the 
trio  were  overjoyed  to  see,  far  to  the  south,  a 
long,  dark  line  which  they  knew  must  be  land. 

"Hurrah!  hurrah!"  the  youths  shouted  out 
at  the  sight.  "Land  at  last!  Land  at  last!" 

Nor  was  Dr.  Thornton  less  excited,  though  he 
was  not  so  demonstrative  in  his  delight.  His 
eyes  gleamed,  his  face  lighted  up,  and  his  whole 
form  took  on  new  life. 

The  coast  was  too  distant  to  be  more  than  a 
low-lying  bank  upon  the  horizon,  but  the  trio 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

feasted  their  eyes  on  its  dim  outline, 'and  their 
hearts  upon  its  promise  of  release  from  their 
cramped  quarters. 

"How  far  away  is  it!  And  how  long  will  it 
take  us  to  reach  the  shore!"  eagerly  questioned 
the  lads. 

"It  is  many  miles  off,"  the  Doctor  answered, 
"and  I  cannot  say  how  soon  we  will  reach  it. 
Much  depends  on  our  breeze,  you  know.  I 
hardly  think  we  can  count  on  landing  to-day, 
however,  even  under  the  most  favorable  condi- 
tions." 

And  he  was  right.  Though  the  wind  con- 
tinued fair  all  day,  night  fell  while  they  were 
yet  miles  from  the  land.  As  they  approached, 
however,  they  could  see  that  the  coast  rose  pre- 
cipitously from  the  water's  edge,  while  at  some 
points  it  literally  towered  far  into  the  heavens. 

As  darkness  came  on,  a  most  beautiful  sight 
presented  itself.  About  the  summits  of  the  dis- 
tant mountains  a  thunder  storm  was  in  progress, 
and  the  lightning,  with  its  almost  incessant 
flashes,  lit  up  the  inky  masses  of  the  hills  for 
-21- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

brief  intervals,  only  that  they  might  vanish 
again  into  the  gloom. 

The  electrical  display  served  another,  and 
more  useful  purpose  as  well.  By  that  strange 
beacon  the  trio  guided  their  little  craft  all 
through  the  night,  and  needed  not  a  pilot  to 
show  them  the  way.  When  morning  returned, 
they  found  themselves  not  more  than  three  miles 
off  shore,  and  a  wondrous  picture  lay  out- 
stretched before  them. 

Right  and  left  extended  the  coast,  in  an  ever- 
varying  line,  far  beyond  the  range  of  vision. 
Rugged  and  abrupt  it  rose  from  the  sea,  while 
inland  so  short  a  distance  that  they  appeared 
almost  to  ascend  directly  from  the  waves,  tow- 
ered the  lofty  mountain  ranges.  Terrace  on  ter- 
race they  rose,  now  bright  with  waving  grasses, 
now  covered  with  the  darker  masses  of  forest, 
till  their  tops  seemed  to  kiss  the  very  clouds 
floating  above  them. 

The  castaways  gazed  spell-bound  at  the  sight. 
At  length  Leigh  inquired : 

1  'What  land  is  this?" 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"It  must  be  the  northern  coast  of  New 
Guinea,"  Dr.  Thornton  replied.  "From  our 
position  before  the  disaster,  and  also  from  the 
wide  extent  of  the  shore,  no  other  conclusion  is 
possible." 

"And  that  means— cannibals,"  remarked 
Harrie  with  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders.  "I 
imagine  we  shall  jump  out  of  the  frying  pan  into 
the  fire." 

"An uncertain  evil  is  better  than  a  known  one, 
in  this  case  at  least,"  his  father  answered.  "We 
are  sure  of  death  if  we  remain  here  in  the  yawl, 
while  there  is  a  possibility  of  life  and  ultimate 
rescue  on  shore." 

The  breeze  still  held  stiff  and  fair,  so  that  in 
another  hour  the  boat  was  drawing  near  the 
land.  Anxiously  the  trio  scanned  the  forbid- 
ding line  of  cliffs  for  some  harbor  where  they 
might  find  a  landing  place.  But  none  appeared. 
The  rocks  rose  grim  and  precipitous  to  a  height 
of  from  twenty  to  fifty  feet,  while  the  snowy 
line  of  surf  at  their  base  told  of  death  and  dan- 
ger to  all  who  ventured  near.  Farther  back  the 

-23- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

towering  mountains  overshadowed  all,  their 
sides  covered  with  the  luxuriant  verdure  of  the 
tropics. 

' '  There 's  no  chance  for  us  to  land  here, ' '  said 
Harrie,  after  a  long  and  careful  inspection  of 
the  surf -beaten  shore.  ' '  We  must  lower  our  sail, 
and  row  along  until  we  come  to  some  bay  or  in- 
let. Am  I  not  right!" 

"You  are  indeed,"  the  Doctor  returned. 
"And  we  must  act  at  once,  before  we  get  too 
near  those  breakers  yonder." 

Accordingly  the  improvised  masts  were  taken 
down,  the  blanket  was  removed,  and  the  two  lads 
took  their  places  at  the  oars.  They  were  so 
weakened  from  their  long  period  of  scanty  diet, 
however,  that  they  were  able  to  make  but  slow 
progress.  Wind  a^d  tide  combined  to  carry 
them  landward,  while  their  own  efforts  advanced 
them  somewhat  in  a  lateral  direction.  Conse- 
quently the  yawl  approached  the  shore  in  a  long, 
diagonal  line. 

They  were  already  drawing  dangerously  near 
the  foaming  surf,  while  the  beetling  cliffs 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

seemed  to  extend  on  in  unbroken  solidity  as  far 
as  the  eye  could  see.  Just  at  this  juncture, 
when  fear  was  fast  taking  hold  upon  the  little 
party,  a  narrow  opening  among  the  boulders 
appeared,  and  towards  this  their  craft  was 
guided. 

Passing  between  two  lofty  pinnacles,  the  trio 
found  themselves  within  a  landlocked  bay  of  no 
great  size,  from  whose  shores  the  hills  rose  in 
mounds  of  emerald  vegetation,  while  at  their 
feet  a  scant  margin  of  meadow  was  edged  with 
a  beach  of  glistening  whiteness. 

The  surface  of  the  inlet  was  dotted  with  nu- 
merous, tree-clad  islets,  between  which  the  blue 
waters  flowed  in  winding  channels.  An  involun- 
tary exclamation  of  admiration  burst  from  the 
lips  of  all  three  as  the  scene  opened  before  them, 
and  the  lads  rested  on  their  oars,  allowing  the 
boat  to  drift  with  the  tide. 

"Look  yonder,"  called  Leigh  in  a  low  voice, 
pointing  off  to  the  right,  where  in  a  tiny  cove, 
overhung  by  a  spur  of  the  hill,  was  a  cluster  of 

-25- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

low,  cone-shaped  huts,  built  close  down  to  the 
beach,  which  was  lined  with  canoes. 

His  comrades  gazed  for  a  moment  in  silence. 
Then  Dr.  Thornton  said  in  a  whisper : 

''Pull  in  between  those  two  islands,  boys! 
We  don't  want  to  be  seen  just  yet!" 

The  lads  nodded,  and  dipped  their  oars,  send- 
ing the  yawl  around  a  jutting  point  of  the  near- 
est isle,  which  hid  them  from  the  village.  As 
they  continued  on  down  the  narrow  channel 
which  separated  this  bit  of  land  from  its  neigh- 
bor, they  congratulated  themselves  upon  their 
successful  maneuver.  'But  before  they  had  gone 
far  the  sound  of  paddles  was  heard,  and  the 
Doctor  cried  out: 

11  See  there!" 

Turning,  the  boys  glanced  over  their  shoul- 
ders to  discover,  coming  towards  them,  two  large 
canoes  filled  with  hideous,  naked  savages. 


CHAPTER  II. 

ASHORE  ON    NEW   GUINEA. 

At  THE  moment  when  the  castaways  discovered 
the  approaching  savages,  the  latter  for  the  first 
time  perceived  the  yawl  and  its  occupants.  Im- 
mediately there  was  a  commotion  on  board  the 
canoes,  which  came  to  a  sudden  stop,  while  the 
natives  eyed  the  strangers  in  wonder  and  alarm. 
The  pause  which  ensued  gave  the  trio  an  op- 
portunity to  inspect  the  other  party. 

The  canoes  were  large  logs,  hollowed  out,  and 
rudely  hewn  at  either  end  into  grotesque  shapes. 
In  order  to  steady  the  narrow  tree  trunk  there 
was  at  one  side  an  out-rigger,  formed  of  a 
smaller  log,  which  was  joined  to  the  canoe 
proper  by  several  transverse  sticks.  The  out- 
side of  this  crude  craft  was  coated  with  slacked 

-27- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

lime,  whose  whiteness  was  relieved  at  short  in- 
tervals by  outlandish  figures  painted  in  a  dull 
red. 

Small  poles,  attached  to  the  edges  of  the  log 
with  strips  of  rattan,  served  as  gunwales,  and 
these  were  decorated  by  a  double  row  of  white 
shells,  while  at  bow  and  stern  were  slender  up- 
rights, surmounted  by  shells  of  a  larger  size, 
arid  from  these  uprights  there  fluttered  narrow 
streamers  of  palm  leaf. 

Each  of  the  canoes  contained  five  naked  forms, 
and  a  more  hideous,  repulsive  set  the  lads  had 
never  seen.  Their  dark,  copper-colored  bodies, 
of  medium  size  and  well  formed,  were  bare  ex- 
cept for  a  narrow  girdle  of  palm  leaves.  Their 
faces  were  smeared  with  a  black,  greasy  sub- 
stance, upon  which  were  traced  broad  lines  of 
red  and  white.  Their  heads  were  crowned  with 
tremendous  mops  of  hair,  which  stood  straight 
up  from  the  scalp  in  numerous  separate  tufts. 
A  band  of  small  shells  and  dogs'  teeth  sur- 
rounded the  head  just  above  the  ears,  and  kept 
the  hair  from  hanging  down  into  the  eyes. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

The  cartilage  at  the  tip  of  the  nose  was  per- 
forated, and  through  the  hole  was  thrust  a  long, 
round  piece  of  shell,  slightly  curving,  highly 
polished,  and  pointed  at  each  end.  The  lobe  of 
each  ear  was  also  pierced,  and  huge  shell  ear- 
rings were  inserted  in  the  openings. 

All  this  the  trio  noted  in  the  brief  interval 
which  elapsed  before  the  natives  recovered 
from  their  first  astonishment.  Then,  as  they  once 
more  resumed  their  paddles,  the  Doctor,  calling 
to  mind  the  peace  sign  mentioned  to  him  by  a 
friend,  dipped  his  hand  into  the  water,  and, 
raising  it  above  his  head,  sprinkled  himself 
thoroughly.  One  man  in  the  foremost  canoe  re- 
peated his  act,  exclaiming  inquiringly  as  he  did 
so: 

"Eliam?  Eliam?"    (Friend?    Friend?) 

Though  quite  ignorant  of  their  meaning,  the 
physician  returned  decidedly : 

"Eliam!    Eliam!" 

Upon  this  the  natives  brought  their  canoes  in 
beside  the  yawl,  all  the  time  jabbering  excitedly 
to  one  another,  and  pointing  towards  the  various 

-29- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

members  of  the  little  party.  The  boat  especially 
seemed  to  excite  their  admiration,  and  elicited 
frequent  cries  of 

"Wagga!  Kausala,  kausala!"  (Canoe! 
Good,  good!) 

As  the  Americans  made  no  hostile  demonstra- 
tion, but  smiled  in  a  friendly  way,  the  newcom- 
ers speedily  overcame  their  first  fear,  and  pres- 
ently two  men  leaped  overboard,  one  from  each 
canoe,  and,  swimming  to  the  yawl,  clambered 
over  her  side.  Then  at  a  command  from  the 
man  in  the  bow  of  the  nearer  craft,  the  intruders 
dipped  their  paddles,  which  they  had  brought 
with  them,  sending  the  boat  off  up  the  channel, 
the  other  natives  keeping  close  beside  them. 

The  boys  looked  somewhat  askance  at  this 
proceeding,  but  Dr.  Thornton  said  in  a  low  tone : 

' '  We  must  make  no  resistance,  lads.  It  would 
not  only  be  useless,  but  might  arouse  the  anger 
of  the  natives.  We  can  only  submit,  and  trust 
for  an  early  opportunity  to  escape. ' ' 

Down  the  narrow,  winding  passage  between 
the  two  tree-clad  islets  the  savages  propelled 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

the  yawl,  and  then  on  in  the  direction  of  the 
bay's  head,  passing  in  their  course  several  more 
of  the  verdure  clothed  bits  of  land.  As  the 
flotilla  advanced,  the  castaways  saw,  on  a  point 
near  the  upper  extremity  of  the  inlet,  and 
backed  by  a  grove  of  cocoanut  trees,  a  second 
cluster  of  huts,  and  towards  these  the  boats 
were  headed. 

As  they  neared  the  shore  a  number  of  smaller 
canoes,  each  containing  one  or  two  persons,  put 
off  and  came  to  meet  them.  The  newcomers 
seemed  as  greatly  astonished  at  sight  of  the 
white  men  as  had  their  companions,  and  a  great 
hubbub  ensued.  The  whole  population  of  the 
village,  a  motley  crowd  of  men,  women  and  chil- 
dren, dogs  and  pigs,  was  drawn  up  on  the  beach 
to  receive  them. 

When  the  castaways,  at  a  sign  from  one  of  the 
men  in  the  yawl,  stepped  out  upon  the  sands, 
they  were  immediately  surrounded  by  a  curious, 
jabbering  throng,  who  pinched  them,  pulled 
them,  and  punched  them  in  a  way  which  caused 
Harrie  to  exclaim: 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

'  *  I  say,  let  up  on  that,  will  you  I  I  'm  not  made 
of  sawdust,  I'd  have  you  know!" 

While  his  words  were  unintelligible,  the  tone 
was  not,  and  the  natives  fell  back  to  a  more 
respectful  distance. 

At  this  juncture  an  old  man,  whose  face  was 
painted  a  dirty  white,  with  red  stripes,  and 
whose  hair  was  ornamented  with  a  row  of  bright 
red  feathers,  stepped  forward.  From  his  dress 
and  air  the  trio  deemed  him  to  be  the  village 
chief.  He  turned  to  them  with  the  same  inquiry 
which  the  canoe-men  had  made: 

"Eliam?" 

Again  the  Doctor,  who  now  had  an  inkling  of 
the  word's  meaning,  returned: 

"Eliam!" 

"Kuturi  kowa?"  (Will  you  sit  down?)  the 
old  fellow  queried  next. 

And  the  physician  ventured  to  nod  his  head  in 
assent. 

The  chief  now  turned  and  stalked  across  the 
beach  toward  the  long  row  of  huts,  the  cast- 
aways following  closely.  As  they  approached, 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

the  dwellings,  which  from  a  distance  presented 
a  most  picturesque  appearance,  lost  some  of 
their  attractiveness.  Each  was  built  on  a  plat- 
form, raised  on  poles  to  a  height  of  four  or  five 
feet.  The  sides  were  made  of  bark,  and  the 
rounding  roof,  which  projected  some  distance 
over  the  flooring  in  front  of  the  hut,  or  the  side 
facing  the  sea,  was  covered  with  a  thatch  of 
palm  leaves. 

A  double  row  of  these  primitive  dwellings 
lined  the  edge  of  the  beach,  and  their  guide  led 
them  down  the  narrow  street,  if  it  deserved  the 
name,  to  a  building  which  stood  at  the  extreme 
left  of  the  line,  and  was  somewhat  larger  than 
its  fellows.  A  tall  pole,  rising  from  the  roof, 
bore  aloft  a  large  shell,  and  gave  to  the  house 
an  air  of  distinction.  Mounting  to  the  platform 
by  means  of  a  rude  ladder  the  old  chief  motioned 
for  them  to  be  seated  on  some  mats  which  were 
spread  in  the  shade  of  the  overhanging  roof. 

The  throng  of  villagers  trooped  along  behind 
them,  and  now  stood  about  the  hut  at  a  little 
distance,  while  a  few  of  the  older  men 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

came  up  on  the  platform,  where  they  held  a  low 
toned  conversation  with  the  chief.     What  the 
group  were  saying  the  trio  could  only  conjec- 
ture, but  they  were  confident  that  they  were 
themselves  the  subject  of  the  remarks. 

The  talk  was  presently  interrupted  by  the  ar- 
rival of  a  number  of  women,  who  bore  in  their 
hands  large  wooden  trays  of  food,  which  they 
arranged  on  mats  before  the  Americans.  The 
old  native  and  his  comrades  seated  themselves 
around  the  banquet,  facing  the  visitors,  and  im- 
mediately began  to  eat,  using  large  flat  spoons 
of.cocoanut  shell. 

Seeing  that  they  were  expected  to  join  in  the 
meal,  Dr.  Thornton  and  the  lads  gingerly  dipped 
their  spoons  into  the  nearest  tray.  The  food 
proved  to  be  clean  and  well  cooked.  There  were 
yams,  bananas,  fish,  and  baked  pig,  besides  sev- 
eral dishes  with  which  they  were  unfamiliar. 
After  their  long  period  of  fasting  even  this  na- 
tive fare  seemed  delicious,  and  the  trio  partook 
so  heartily  as  to  win  the  approval  of  their  hosts. 

When  the  repast  was  completed  large  bowls 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

filled  with  the  fresh  milk  of  the  cocoanut  were 
brought,  and  the  castaways  found  the  beverage 
a  most  agreeable  and  refreshing  one. 

The  chief  now  tried  to  converse  with  his 
guests,  but  soon  discovered  that  they  could  un- 
derstand nothing  that  was  said.  He  gave  up 
the  attempt,  therefore,  and,  motioning  for  them 
to  follow  him,  entered  the  hut.  The  castaways 
found  themselves  in  a  room  which  was  entirely 
free  from  furnishings  except  a  number  of  mats 
scattered  about  the  floor.  At  either  end  a  low 
opening  served  as  both  door  and  window.  The 
interior  was  consequently  but  dimly  lighted,  and 
in  the  semi-darkness  seemed  hardly  attractive. 

By  signs  and  words  the  old  man  gave  the 
party  to  understand  that  they  were  to  make 
themselves  at  home.  Then  he  left  them.  As 
soon  as  their  eyes  became  accustomed  fo  the 
gloom,  the  lads  looked  about  them.  They  saw 
that,  while  not  overclean,  the  hut  was  habitable ; 
but  the  air  was  so  close  and  stifling  that  they 
were  glad  to  escape  to  the  platform  outside. 

The  crowd  had  now  gone  back  down  the  beach 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

to  the  spot  where  the  yawl  had  been  drawn  up 
on  the  sands,  and  were  giving  it  and  its  contents 
a  thorough  overhauling.  The  trio  were  alone, 
save  for  a  couple  of  men  who  were  squatted  on 
the  ground  under  one  of  the  nearby  huts. 

As  they  seated  themselves  once  more  on  the 
mats  before  the  door,  Harrie  remarked : 

"Well,  father,  we  seem  to  be  delivered  from 
the  deep  sea,  only  to  be  given  over  to  the  tender 
mercies  of  these  savages.  How  much  better  off 
are  we  than  we  were  before  ? ' ' 

"Your  question  is  a  difficult  one  to  answer," 
Dr.  Thornton  rejoined.  * '  I  will  admit,  however, 
that  we  are  still  in  an  unenviable  situation. 
Without  doubt  we  have  come  ashore  at  some 
point  on  the  northern  coast  of  New  Guinea,  but 
that  doesn't  help  matters  much.  For  this  island 
is,  as  you  know,  nearly  fifteen  hundred  miles 
long.  There  are,  too,  but  few  localities  on  the 
northern  side  which  are  visited  by  white  men, 
and,  judging  from  the  conduct  of  our  native 
captors,  this  is  not  one  of  those  localities. ' ' 

"Then  how  are  we  to  reach  home!"  Leigh 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

questioned  anxiously.  "Will  you  attempt  to 
cross  to  the  southern  side  of  the  island?" 

" Hardly,"  was  the  smiling  reply.  "That 
would  involve  a  journey  of  from  three  to  five 
hundred  miles,  according  to  the  course  we  took, 
and  it  would  be  through  one  of  the  loftiest  moun- 
tain ranges  in  the  world.  In  addition  to  all  that, 
the  natives  of  the  interior  are  said  to  be  exceed- 
ingly hostile,  and,  so  far  as  I  am  aware,  no  one 
has  ever  penetrated  to  any  considerable  dis- 
tance from  the  coast." 

"What  are  we  to  do,  then!"  asked  the  other 
lad  a  trifle  impatiently.  "Are  we  to  remain 
here  among  these  savages  for  the  rest  of  our 
lives?" 

"Certainly  not,"  the  physician  answered. 
"We  must,  of  course,  make  some  effort  to  reach 
civilization  once  more.  But  it  is  a  matter  which 
must  be  weighed  very  carefully  before  we  take 
action.  And  meanwhile  it  is  best  for  us  to  culti- 
vate the  friendship  of  these  dark-skinned  vil- 
lagers, and  regain  our  lost  strength.  It  would 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

be  folly  for  us  to  attempt  anything  in  our  pres- 
ent weakened  condition." 

"Do  you  suppose  there  are  cannibals  here- 
abouts ? ' '  Harrie  inquired. 

" It's  a  question,"  was  the  response.  "There 
are  reports,  based  on  the  most  trustworthy 
authority,  of  cannibal  tribes  in  various  parts 
of  the  island.  Whether  this  region  is  one  of 
their  strongholds  remains  to  be  seen.  I  think, 
however,  that  the  question  need  not  concern  us, 
for  the  present  at  least,  as  we  are  not  now  the 
most  attractive  food, ' '  and  he  glanced  smilingly 
at  the  thin  forms  of  the  youths. 

"I  wonder  if  they  are  keeping  watch  on  our 
movements?"  said  Leigh  suddenly.  "I've  been 
looking  at  those  fellows  under  that  hut  yonder 
for  some  time.  They  don't  seem  to  be  doing 
anything,  but  every  moment  or  two  they  glance 
over  this  way." 

Dr.  Thornton  eyed  the  men  for  some  minutes 
in  silence.  Then  he  returned : 

"I  should  not  be  surprised  if  they  had  been 
stationed  there  to  see  that  we  make  no  effort 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

to  escape  while  the  rest  of  the  tribe  are  down 
at  the  boats.  Well,  let  them  watch.  We  don't 
care  to  leave  just  now,  and  when  the  time  does 
come,  we  will  find  a  way  to  go,  guard  or  no 
guard. ' ' 

For  some  time  the  trio  sat  without  speaking. 
Before  them  stretched  the  placid  waters  of  the 
bay,  now  a  pale  green,  while  here  and  there 
rose  the  tiny  islets,  clothed  with  the  deeper 
green  of  the  tropical  vegetation.  Back  of  all, 
the  hills  mounted  skyward,  their  great,  mound- 
like  shapes  standing  out  clearly  against  the  soft 
blue  of  the  sky. 

Down  the  beach,  which  glittered  snow-white 
in  the  sunlight,  the  canoes  were  drawn  up  in  a 
dark  line.  The  bodies  of  the  natives,  clustered 
about  the  yawl,  blurred  into  indistinctness  under 
the  blinding  glare,  and  their  voices  blended  in 
a  low  toned  murmur. 

Suddenly  there  came  a  change  in  the  peaceful 
scene.  The  throng  on  the  beach  scattered,  while 
cries  of  fear  or  of  rage  rose  shrill  on  the  heat- 
laden  air,  mingled  with  the  barking  of  number- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

less  dogs.  The  women  and  children  ran,  panic- 
stricken,  for  the  shelter  of  the  grove  behind  the 
village,  while  the  men  tore  hither  and  thither, 
hastily  gathering  up  their  weapons. 

At  first  the  castaways  could  not  understand 
this  unexpected  transformation.  Then  as  they 
glanced  out  over  the  bay  again,  all  became  clear. 
There,  not  over  a  third  of  a  mile  away,  and  rap- 
idly drawing  nearer,  were  a  half  dozen  large 
canoes,  each  holding  eight  or  ten  savages,  in  all 
their  panoply  of  war. 


CHAPTER  TIL 

A   NIGHT   ALARM. 

' '  THAT  rather  looks  as  if  there  was  going  to  be 
trouble!"  exclaimed  Harrie,  as  they  watched 
the  oncoming  fleet.  "We  seem  to  have  landed 
right  in  the  midst  of  a  war  cloud." 

"It  does  have  a  rather  serious  look,  that's  a 
fact,"  his  father  returned  gravely.  "Coming 
as  it  does,  so  unexpectedly,  the  chances  are  that 
our  own  welfare  is  involved  in  the  outcome. ' ' 

"Why  can't  we  run  away  while  they  are  fight- 
ing?" suggested  Leigh. 

' '  Because  the  women  and  children  would  soon 
stop  us,"  was  the  answer,  "even  if  we  were  in 
a  condition  for  roughing  it  in  the  bush,  which 
we  are  not.  No,  we  must  stay  here,  and  await 
the  result." 

-41— 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

11  Our  natives  are  ready  for  them!"  called 
Harrie  excitedly.  "See,  they  are  drawn  up  in 
battle  array!" 

His  comrades  glanced  down  the  shore  once 
more,  to  find  that  his  words  were  true.  The 
villagers,  to  the  number  of  about  seventy-five, 
had  armed  themselves,  and  were  now  drawn  up 
in  a  double  line,  well  back  from  the  water 's  edge. 

To  the  surprise  of  the  castaways  they  made 
no,  attempt  to  oppose  the  landing  of  the  hostile 
force,  but  contented  themselves  with  shouting 
out  defiance,  meanwhile  beating  their  spears 
against  their  shields.  Each  man,  moreover,  was 
executing  a  lively  war  dance  of  his  own,  so  that 
the  little  army  presented  the  appearance  of  a 
frenzied  mob. 

At  the  same  time  the  enemy  were  singing  their 
martial  songs  at  the  top  of  their  voice,  or  hurl- 
ing all  manner  of  taunts  at  their  foes  on  shore. 
As  soon  as  the  canoes  touched  the  beach,  the 
warriors  leaped  out  upon  the  sands,  and  formed 
a  line  opposite  the  villagers,  leaving  one  man  on 
guard  in  each  boat. 

-42- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

The  Americans  now  expected  to  see  the  fight 
commence  in  earnest,  but  they  were  mistaken. 
The  two  opposing  forces  continued  to  howl,  and 
dance,  and  clash  their  weapons,  without  making 
a  forward  move.  The  newcomers  were  slightly 
fewer  in  numbers,  as  could  be  seen  now  that 
they  were  drawn  up  in  line,  and  the  advantage 
seemed  to  be  against  them,  since  their  surprise 
had  failed  of  its  purpose. 

Suddenly  a  man  rushed  out  from  either  band 
into  the  strip  of  neutral  ground  between.  In- 
stead of  joining  battle,  however,  these  two  war- 
riors simply  leaped  about  one  another,  shaking 
their  spears  threateningly,  and  continuing  their 
boastful  shouts.  For  several  minutes  this  per- 
formance went  on,  and  then  the  actors  retired 
precipitately  to  their  own  ranks,  while  two  of 
their  comrades  took  their  places. 

In  this  way  a  dozen  pairs  exhibited  themselves 
without  coming  to  blows.  Then,  as  another 
couple  pranced  out  from  the  files,  one  hurled  his 
spear  at  his  adversary.  The  shot  went  wide  of 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

the  mark,  but  it  was  the  signal  for  the  combat 
to  begin. 

Instantly  the  air  was  full  of  flying  weapons, 
while  the  warriors  rushed  at  each  other  with 
the  wildest  fury.  It  seemed'that  the  entire  band 
must  soon  be  annihilated,  yet  very  few  fell. 
Now  and  then  a  man  would  hobble  out  from  the 
melee,  disabled  by  a  spear  thrust,  to  be  immedi- 
ately cared  for  by  some  of  the  women,  who 
rushed  down  and  dragged  the  wounded  one  back 
to  the  edge  of  the  beach. 

For  some  minutes  neither  side  gained  percep- 
tibly. But  numbers  slowly  began  to  tell,  and  the 
attacked  forced  the  attacking  back  toward  the 
boats,  inch  by  inch.  Then  the  enemy  broke  in 
confusion,  each  man  running  pell-mell  for  his 
own  canoe,  while  the  villagers  pressed  hard 
after  them,  striking  down  all  who  lagged  behind. 

No  sooner  was  one  of  the  boats  filled  than  it 
put  off  from  the  shore  regardless  of  the  fate  of 
the  rest.  Four  of  the  six  canoes  succeeded  in 
escaping,  and  were  soon  out  of  sight  behind  the 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

nearest  island.  The  other  two  were  captured, 
and  their  crews  quickly  put  to  death. 

Seeing  that  the  combat  was  over,  the  women 
and  children  speedily  left  their  hiding  places, 
and  trooped  down  upon  the  shore  with  cries  of 
exultation.  When  they  had  inspected  the  dead, 
the  females  hastened  back  into  the .  clustered 
huts,  though  for  what  purpose  the  trio  could 
not  conceive. 

A  group  of  men,  among  whom  they  recog- 
nized the  old  chief  and  the  others  who  had  dined 
with  them,  also  returned  up  the  narrow  street, 
stopping  when  about  half  the  distance  at  a  stone 
platform  which  the  castaways  had  noted  on 
their  own  passage  through  the  village  earlier 
in  the  day.  Here  the  natives  were  in  full  view 
of  the  Americans,  who  watched  closely  all  that 
followed. 

When  the  chief  and  his  companions  had  taken 
their  stand  upon  the  stone  flooring,  which  was 
raised  somewhat  a'bove  the  level  of  the  ground, 
the  warriors  left  the  beach,  bearing  the  dead 
bodies  of  their  conquered  foes.  Slowly  they  ad- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

vanced  up  the  street,  and  laid  the  corpses  one 
by  one  at  the  feet  of  the  waiting  dignitaries. 
The  latter  regarded  them  gravely  for  a  time, 
and  then  motioned  silently  to  the  waiting  sol- 
diers. Several  stepped  forward  immediately, 
severed  the  heads  from  the  prostrate  forms,  and 
scattered  to  their  respective  dwellings,  where 
each  proceeded  to  fasten  his  ghastly  trophy 
above  the  doorway. 

Meanwhile  the  women  had  taken  possession 
of  the  headless  trunks,  and  were  sousing  them 
with  boiling  water.  The  trio  gazed  -for  a  mo- 
ment or  two  in  silence,  not  realizing  the  purpose 
of  the  natives.  Then  Harrie  cried  out  with  a 
shudder : 

4 'Oh,  horrors,  father!  They  are  getting 
ready  to  eat  those  men ! ' '  and  he  retreated  pre- 
cipitately to  the  interior  of  the  hut,  where  his 
comrades  quickly  joined  him. 

And  there  the  castaways  remained  for  the 
rest  of  the  day,  in  spite  of  the  stifling  heat  and 
the  numerous  insect  population,  which  rendered 
their  stay  anything  but  enjoyable.  No  one  came 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

to  disturb  them,  though  just  at  nightfall  two  men 
brought  their  evening  meal.  They  ate  sparingly 
of  the  fruit  and  vegetables  provided,  but  did  not 
touch  the  trays  of  meat.  When  they  had  eaten, 
the  dishes  were  removed,  and  they  were  again 
alone. 

For  the  most  part  there  was  no  conversation. 
The  danger  of  their  situation,  and  the  horrible 
scene  which  they  had  witnessed,  rendered  all 
three  silent  and  discouraged.  Was  it  not  a 
presage  of  their  own  fate  ?  Was  not  escape  im- 
possible under  such  hopeless  conditions?  So 
they  reasoned,  while  without  arose  the  horrid 
shouts  of  the  feasting  savages.  For  three  days 
the  orgies  continued,  during  which  time  they 
remained  within  their  irksome  prison.  Once  or 
twice  they  essayed  to  venture  out  at  night,  only 
to  find  a  guard  posted  at  either  entrance,  who 
sent  them  back  inside. 

On  the  fourth  morning,  however,  the  village 
had  settled  down  to  its  normal  condition  once 
more,  and  the  castaways  were  free  to  come  and 
go  as  they  pleased,  so  long  as  they  did  not  wan- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

der  far  from  the  hamlet.  Any  attempt  to  enter 
the  forest  was  promptly  repressed. 

In  their  wanderings  about  the  village  the  lads 
found  that  beyond  the  cocoanut  grove,  which 
was  in  the  immediate  rear  of  the  huts,  were  the 
garden  plots  of  the  villagers,  upon  which  they 
depended  for  their  main  food  supply. 

A  large  space  of  cleared  ground  was  divided 
into  numerous  small  patches,  one  of  which  was 
assigned  to  each  family.  These  gardens  were 
cared  for  entirely  by  the  women,  who  raised  in 
them  the  crops  of  yams  and  bananas. 

One  morning  as  they  were  strolling  among 
the  trees  of  the  cocoanut  plantation  the  lads 
chanced  upon  the  native  burial  ground,  and 
there  had  a  rather  exciting  experience.  At- 
tracted by  the  sight  of  the  numerous  small  en- 
closures, fenced  about  with  slender,  peeled  sap- 
lings, or  colored  cords,  the  boys  went  nearer  to 
investigate.  They  found  that  each  little  yard 
contained  a  single  grave,  about  which  were 
grouped  the  bows,  arrows,  shield,  and  spear  of 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

the  departed,  together  with  dishes  filled  with 
food. 

As  they  sauntered  on  through  the  primitive 
cemetery  they  chanced  upon  a  mound  about 
which,  in  addition  to  the  usual  fence,  there  was 
stretched  a  white  cord.  This  line  was  attached 
to  four  tree  trunks  at  a  height  of  about  five  feet 
from  the  ground,  and  immediately  attracted 
Leigh's  attention. 

'  *  Why  do  you  suppose  they  have  put  up  that 
string?"  he  questioned,  stepping  forward  for  a 
closer  look. 

"Oh,  it's  some  of  their  native  superstition," 
Harrie  replied.  "You'd  better  come  away,  for 
if  any  one  should  see  you,  it  might  make 
trouble." 

"Oh,  I  guess  not,"  returned  Leigh  carelessly. 
"I  want  to  see  what's  on  that  platform  at  the 
foot  of  the  tree,"  and  he  went  still  nearer. 

"Come  away,"  warned  his  comrade,  as  he 
saw  the  other  stoop  down  in  order  to  pass  under 
the  string. 

At  that  instant  there  was  a  snarp  whirr,  and 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

an  arrow  took  Leigh's  hat  from  his  head.  As 
the  startled  lad  turned  about  to  pick  it  up,  a  na- 
tive jumped  out  from  behind  a  nearby  tree, 
brandishing  aloft  his  spear,  and  shouting 
angrily : 

"Nigere!  nigere!  Tabu!  Kurau!"  (No,  no! 
Forbidden !  Go  away,  go  away !) 

If  the  words  were  meaningless,  the  man's  tone 
and  gestures  were  not,  and  the  frightened  lads 
beat  a  hasty  retreat,  followed  by  the  native,  who 
continued  to  call  ' '  tabu,  tabu, ' '  until  they  were 
back  on  the  beach  once  more. 

When  they  reported  this  incident  to  Dr. 
Thornton,  on  their  return  to  the  hut,  he  shook 
his  head,  looking  disturbed. 

"I  don't  know  the  significance  of  the  strings 
about  the  grave,"  he  said,  "though  I  believe  the 
word  'tabu'  means  'sacred'  or  'forbidden',  and 
for  one  to  trespass  on  such  a  spot  wouH  be  a 
very  serious  crime  'in  the  eyes  of  the  natives. 
You  were  fortunate  to  escape  unharmed,  but  I 
am  afraid  the  affair  has  not  improved  our 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

standing  with 'our  captors.  We  must  be  more 
careful  in  the  future." 

No  change  in  the  attitude  of  the  natives  was 
discovered,  however,  and  as  the  castaways  re- 
frained from  again  approaching  the  burial 
ground,  no  harm  came  from  the  incident. 

In  passing  to  and  fro  among  the  houses  the 
trio  noticed  that  above  the  doorways  there 
were  rows  of  human  skulls,  and  they  soon  ob- 
served that  the  dwellings  which  boasted  the 
largest  numbers  of  such  decorations  were  those 
belonging  to  the  leading  men  of  the  tribe.  Evi- 
dently one's  social  standing  depended  not  so 
much  on  wealth  as  upon  the  number  of  men  one 
had  slain. 

There  was  another  fact  which  caused  them  no 
little  annoyance.  This  was  the  almost  universal 
prevalence  among  the  natives  of  a  hideous  skin 
disease.  Many  of  the  men  and  women  would 
have  been  of  pleasing  appearance,  had  it  not 
been  that  they  were  disfigured  by  this  loath- 
some affliction,  from  which  scarcely  a  person 
was  free. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"I  do  wish  these  natives  weren't  quite  so 
free  to  put  their  hands  on  us,"  Harrie  com- 
plained one  day.  "They  are  such  inquisitive 
creatures,  and  can't  come  near  you  without  feel- 
ing of  your  clothes,  your  skin,  and.  your  hair. 
I  'in  afraid  every  time  they  touch  me  that  I  shall 
get  their  horrid  humor. ' ' 

"It  is  disagreeable,"  his  father  admitted. 
"But  I  believe  that  there  will  be  little  danger  to 
us,  so  long  as  we  are  cleanly  ourselves.  We  can 
do  nothing  except  to  exercise  scrupulous  care. 
If  we  had  a  cake  or  two  of  sulphur  soap,  I 
should  not  have  the  least  fear.  As  it  is,  we  will 
hope  to  escape  contagion." 

So  a  couple  of  weeks  passed.  The  castaways 
found  their  position  an  irksome  one,  but  as  yet 
could  not  decide  on  a  plan  of  escape.  They 
knew  that  it  would  be  almost  an  impossibility 
for  them  to  succeed  in  crossing  to  the  south 
side  of  the  island,  while  the  difficulties  attend- 
ant upon  a  trip  along  the  coast  in  the  yawl  were 
equally  as  great.  In  truth  they  scarcely  knew 
which  way  to  turn. 

-52- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

Meanwhile  they  were  fast  regaining  their  lost 
strength  and  flesh,  and  were  once  more  in  a 
condition  to  withstand  hardship.  They  felt, 
therefore,  that  the  time  was  at  hand  for  them 
to  act.  But  they  were  spared  all  further  debate 
on  the  subject,  and  the  decision  was  taken  en- 
tirely out  of  their  hands  by  an  occurrence 
which  fell  upon  the  fifteenth  night  after  their 
arrival  in  the  village. 

They  had  lain  down  as  usual  upon  the  pile  of 
mats  within  their  hut,  to  snatch  such  sleep  as  the 
fleas  which  infested  the  place  would  allow.  The 
early  hours  of  the  night  wore  away  without  in- 
cident, and  it  was  about  two  o'clock  when  sud- 
denly they  were  aroused  by  the  dull,  rumbling 
sound  of  the  great  native  drum  which  they  had 
seen  in  the  centre  of  the  village.  The  next  in- 
stant the  still  night  air  rang  with  the  most  un- 
earthly shouts,  accompanied  by  the  hurried 
rush  of  feet. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

A  SURPRISING  SALUTATION. 

JUMPING  quickly  to  their  feet  the  trio  passed  out 
upon  the  platform  before  the  hut.  The  sky  was 
overcast,  and  the  whole  village  lay  in  the  sha- 
dow. The  wind  came  in  fitful  gusts  from  the 
water.  Back  among  the  mountains  a  thunder 
storm  was  in  progress,  and  the  heavens  glowed 
intermittently  with  the  lightning  flashes,  while 
the  distant  peals  of  thunder  were  faintly  audi- 
ble. 

Nearer  at  hand  a  tempest  of  a  different  kind 
kind  was  raging— a  storm  of  human  passion 
and  violence.  Up  the  narrow  street  at  the  far- 
ther end  of  the  hamlet  arose  the  savage  shouts 
of  men,  the  terrrified  shrieks  of  women  and 
children,  and  the  dull  thud  of  weapons  striking 
upon  the  soft  flesh. 

-54- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"It's  a  night  attack!"  whispered  Dr. 
Thornton  to  the  lads,  as  they  stood  listening  to 
the  uproar.  "Doubtless  a  retaliation  for  the 
defeat  inflicted  on  the  former  occasion." 

"What  shall  we  do?"  asked  Harrie  anxious- 
ly. ' l  Shall  we  escape  to  the  woods ! ' ' 

"I  think  not,"  his  father  replied.  "It  would 
hardly  better  our  condition,  for  in  the  darkness 
we  could  not  go  far  without  losing  our  way,  and 
we  have  no  food  or  weapons  to  take  with  us. 
We  may  be  entirely  undisturbed  here,  too.  We 
will  not  leave  until  we  find  it  absolutely  neces- 
sary." 

Meanwhile  the  tumult  increased.  Dark 
forms  could  be  seen  stealing  from  nearby  huts, 
and  fleeing  to  the  cover  of  the  forest.  The 
sound  of  fighting  drew  nearer.  Evidently  the 
villagers  were  being  driven  back  down  the  street. 

Suddenly  a  house  at  the  other  end  of  the  row 
blazed  out,  throwing  a  lurid  light  upon  the 
scene  of  the  conflict.  It  revealed  a  confused 
mass  of  men  struggling  together  near  the  stone 
pavement  at  the  center  of  the  village. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

Another  hut  took  fire.  Two  or  three  caught 
at  once,  and  the  light  became  dazzling.  Thick 
clouds  of  smoke  rolled  in  between  the  castaways 
and  the  fighting  natives.  When  they  cleared 
away,  the  retreat  had  become  a  rout.  The  panic 
stricken  villagers  were  flying  in  all  directions, 
while  their  frantic  cries,  the  exulting  shouts  of 
the  attacking  party,  and  the  crackling  of  the 
flames  mingled  in  one  medley  of  sound. 

The  upper  half  of  the  street  was  now  one 
mass  of  flame,  which  drove  even  the  victors  be- 
fore it.  Hastily  they  plundered  the  houses 
which  were  yet  untouched  as  they  retreated. 
The  glare  from  the  burning  dwellings  lighted 
up  the  whole  shore  for  a  considerable  distance. 
Suddenly  Harrie  pointed  down  the  beach. 

' '  See  there ! "  he  cried.  ' '  They  mean  to  make 
thorough  work  of  it,  don't  they?" 

His  comrades  turned,  to  see  a  band  of  men 
busy  demolishing  the  canoes,  which  lay  in  a  long 
row  at  the  water's  edge. 

"I  think  it  is  time  we  were  leaving,  even  if 

-56- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

we  go  unprepared,"  was  the  physician's  com- 
ment after  a  moment. 

But  even  as  he  spoke  there  came  a  loud  shout 
near  at  hand,  and  they  saw  that  a  dozen  or  more 
natives  were  running  towards  them,  weapons  in 
hand. 

1 1 It's  too  late  to  retreat !  Draw  your  knives ! ' ' 
came  Dr.  Thornton's  quick  command:  -'We 
must  make  our  last  stand,  boys.  Be  cool,  and 
sell  your  life  dear,  with  all  your  wounds  in 
front.  Steady!" 

The  band  of  warriors  were  now  almost  upon 
them,  their  spears  uplifted  for  casting.  The 
doctor  and  the  two  lads  stepped  out  to  the  edge 
of  the  platform.  As  they  did  so  the  light  from 
the  burning  village  threw  their  forms  out  into 
bold  relief.  At  the  sight  of  the  strange  clothing 
and  the  white  faces  of  the  Americans  the  na- 
tives came  to  a  sudden  halt,  their  weapons  drop- 
ping at  their  sides.  A  murmur  of  amazement 
ran  from  mouth  to  mouth,  and  they  glanced  at 
one  another  questioningly. 

The  Doctor  was  quick  to  make  use  of  the  mo- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

mentary  opportunity  thus  given  him,  and  rais- 
ing his  hands  above  his  head,  called  out : 

"Eliam!    Eliam!" 

After  a  moment  or  two  of  hesitation  one  of 
the  natives  answered  rather  doubtfully,  "Eli- 
am.  ' '  Then  they  held  a  brief  consultation,  after 
which  two  of  their  number  hastened  away,  while 
the  remainder  stood  watching  the  castaways. 

"Put  up  your  knives,  and  do  nothing  which 
will  seem  in  the  least  hostile,"  the  physician 
said  warningly,  in  a  whisper.  The  lads  nodded 
quietly  as  they  obeyed. 

Presently  the  messengers  returned  accompan- 
ied by  a  third  man,  whom  the  trio  deemed,  from 
his  head  dress  of  brilliant  feathers,  to  be  the 
chief  in  command.  He  joined  his  men  and  talk- 
ed with  them  for  a  short  time.  Then  he  ad- 
vanced towards  the  platform  uttering  the  na- 
tive word  for  friend. 

Again  Dr.  Thornton  repeated  his  affirmation 
of  friendship,  whereupon  the  chief  asked  a  ques- 
tion, but  in  a  dialect  totally  different  from 
that  of  the  villagers.  In  reply  the  gentleman 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

shook  his  head  vigorously  and  held  out  both  his 
empty  hands. 

The  native  tried  again,  but  met  with  no  bet- 
ter success.  Then  he  motioned  for  the  casta- 
ways to  descend  to  the  ground.  This  they  did, 
and  advanced  to  meet  the  chief,  who  eyed  them 
curiously.  After  a  brief  inspection  he  turned  to 
his  waiting  men,  and  uttered  a  rapid  order. 
Immediately  six  of  the  warriors  stepped  for- 
ward, and,  seizing  the  hands  of  the  trio,  fast- 
ened them  securely  behind  their  backs. 

So  quickly  was  the  order  executed  that  before 
the  castaways  were  aware  of  what  was  being 
done  they  were  helpless.  As  the  last  knot  was 
tied  the  commander  signed  for  his  prisoners  to 
follow  him,  and  led  the  way  to  the  edge  of  the 
beach.  Here  he  intimated  by  gestures  that 
they  were  to  sit  down,  and,  leaving  a  guard  to 
see  that  they  did  not  escape,  he  returned  with 
the  rest  of  the  men  to  the  scene  of  activity. 

By  this  time  the  flames  had  spread  through- 
out the  entire  hamlet,  and  even  the  hut  in  which 
the  trio  had  been  quartered  was  burning.  The 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

party  on  the  beach  had  finished  demolishing  the 
canoes,  and  the  work  of  destruction  seemed 
complete.  Yet  the  natives  still  lingered  about 
the  blazing  dwellirgs,  and  it  was  not  until  the 
dawn  was  reddening  the  sky  that  the  chief  col- 
lected his  forces  for  retreat. 

They  were  a  fine  looking  lot  as  they  stood 
there  in  the  growing  light,  nearly  one  hundred 
in  number.  Tall,  finely  formed,  with  smooth, 
copper-colored  skin,  thin  lips,  and  a  decidely 
Jewish  cast  of  feature,  they  were  a  striking  con- 
trast to  the  villagers. 

' '  These  are  not  of  the  same  tribe  as  the  force 
which  made  the  attack  on  the  day  of  our  arri- 
val, ' '  Harrie  remarked.  * '  They  are  a  much  bet- 
ter looking  set,  and  I  should  judge  that  they 
were  more  intelligent  as  well.  See  that  young 
fellow  yonder!  His  features  are  almost  like 
those  of  a  European." 

"You  are  right,"  his  father  responded. 
"These  men  certainly  seem  to  be  of  a  superior 
grade.  They  must  have  come  from  some  dis- 
tance I  suppose.  Perhaps  from  the  interior.  I 
-co-, 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

have  heard  it  said  that  inland  tribes  make  per- 
iodical raids  upon  the  coast  villages. ? ' 

"We  shall  soon  have  an  opportunity  of  find- 
ing out,"  Leigh  remarked.  "For  they  are  evi- 
dently intending  to  take  us  with  thejn." 

As  he  spoke  the  chief  approached  the  trio, 
and  signed  for  them  to  rise.  Then  he  led  them 
down  to  the  shore,  where  his  men  were  drawn  up 
in  a  long  line,  two  abreast.  At  a  word  of  com- 
mand three  men  stepped  out  from  the. ranks, 
and  he  motioned  for  the  prisoners  to  take  the 
vacant  places.  When  this  had  been  done  the 
column  was  set  in  motion. 

The  sun  was  well  above  the  horizon  by  this 
time,  and  shone  brightly  down  on  the  scene  of 
devastation  and  ruin,  as  the  conquering  force 
filed  up  through  the  cocoanut  grove  and  on  into 
the  dense  forest  beyond.  The  well  beaten  path 
was  barely  wide  enough  to  permit  two  persons 
to  walk  abreast.  On  either  hand  rose  the  state- 
ly trunks  of  the  tropical  trees,  their  branches 
meeting  far  above  in  a  canopy  which  well-nigh 
obscured  the  sunlight,  and  made  the  long  road- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

way  seem  like  an  aisle  in  some  vast  cathedral. 

Between  the  larger  trees  the  undergrowth 
grew  in  such  luxuriance  as  to  form  an  impene- 
trable barrier.  The  edge  of  the  path  was  lined 
with  delicate  ferns,  and  curious,  mottled  cro- 
tons,  while  numberless  festoons  of  orchids  sway- 
ed above  their  heads. 

Through  this  wonderland  the  procession  ad- 
vanced at  a  brisk  trot  for  a  couple  of  hours. 
Then  the  forest  suddenly  ceased,  and  the  path 
came  out  into  a  wide,  rolling  plain,  covered  with 
a  tough,  wiry  grass,  which  reached  to  the  knees. 
On  the  right  was  a  narrow,  swift-running  river, 
whose  bank  the  trail  followed,  while  off  to  the 
south  and  the  west  were  the  masses  of  the 
mountain  range,  not  over  a  dozen  miles  away. 

All  the  morning  the  march  was  continued 
across  the  grass  covered  meadows,  at  a  speed 
which  taxed  the  endurance  of  the  Americans  to 
the  utmost.  The  sun  poured  down  his  fiery  rays 
upon  their  toiling  forms,  pitiless  and  scorching. 
Not  a  breath  of  air  stirred  the  tops  of  the  bushes 
which  fringed  the  water  course,  and  the  trio 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

labored  on  perspiringly  and  in  silence,  too 
breathless  and  too  discouraged  to  attempt  to  en- 
gage in  conversation. 

Ever  towards  the  lofty  mountains  the  ad- 
vance continued,  and  by  noon  they  were  among 
the  first  spurs  of  the  foot-hills.  The  castaways 
were  now  almost  ready  to  drop  from  fatigue, 
and  the  leader  of  the  natives,  seeing  their  dis- 
tress, halted  his  forces  for  an  hour  or  more. 
Then,  strengthened  and  refreshed  by  the  rest, 
and  by  the  simple  food  which  was  served  to  all, 
the  march  was  resumed. 

For  the  rest  of  the  day  the  way  wound  up- 
ward among  the  hills,  and  progress  was  there- 
fore less  rapid.  Sometimes  the  path  led  along 
the  bank  of  a  rushing  mountain  stream :  again  it 
lay  deep  down  in  some  gloomy  gorge,  whose 
rocky  sides  rose  sheer  on  either  hand ;  yet  again 
it  ran  beside  the  edge  of  a  deep  abyss,  where 
far  below  they  could  faintly  see  the  waving  tree 
tops,  and  the  glint  of  running  waters. 

When  night  came  they  had  reached  a  secluded 
mountain  valley,  whose  floor  was  clothed  with  a 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

carpet  of  living  green,  and  through  whose  cen- 
ter a  sparkling  rivulet  wound.  Here,  in  the 
shelter  of  a  tiny  grove,  camp  was  made,  and  the 
party  prepared  to  spend  the  night. 

Never  had  any  couch  seemed  so  soft  and  in- 
viting as  did  the  grassy  mound  upon  which  the 
castaways  laid  their  weary  bodies.  Their  cap- 
tors freed  their  hands,  evidently  thinking  they 
had  come  too  far  for  the  prisoners  to  attempt 
escape,  and  this  was  a  most  welcome  relief. 

At  an  early  hour  the  following  morning  the 
journey  was  resumed,  and  then  commenced  a 
week  of  hardships  such  as  the  trio  will  never 
forget.  For  seven  long  days  the  march  through 
the  mountains  was  continued.  During  five  of 
these  the  road  was  ever  upward,  and  grew  more 
and  more  difficult  as  they  advanced. 

Along  narrow  ledges  the  pathway  led,  where 
the  column  were  obliged  to  walk  single  file,  and 
where  the  slightest  misstep  would  hurl  the  way- 
farer thousands  of  feet  down  the  mountain  side. 
Through  winding  defiles  it  ran,  where  even  the 

-64- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

light  of  day  penetrated  but  dimly,  so  high  above 
the  beetling  walls  of  rock  extended. 

On  the  second  afternoon  the  company  entered 
the  region  of  the  thunder  storms,  and  every 
night  thereafter  they  camped  amid  the  roll  of 
Titan  artillery  and  a  deluge  from  the  skies.  No 
fire  was  possible  on  these  occasions,  and  though 
at  that  lofty  altitude  the  nights  were  decidedly 
cool,  the  party  were  forced  to  huddle  under  the 
shelter  of  the  cliffs  and  endure  the  chilling  rain 
as  best  they  could. 

Five  days  the  path  led  upwards.  Then  they 
crossed  the  divide,  and  began  the  descent  upon 
the  southern  side.  And  if  the  ascent  had  been 
perilous,  they  found  the  downward  road  doubly 
so.  Slipping  and  sliding,  leaping  from  rock  to 
rock,  dislodging  huge  boulders  which  came 
thundering  after  them,  in  momentary  danger  of 
instant  death,  the  trio  toiled  on.  As  for  their 
native  companions,  they  did  not  seem  to  find 
the  road  difficult,  and  pressed  steadily  forward 
with  the  utmost  cheerfulness  and  good  nature. 

But  there  comes  an  end  to  all  things,  and  at 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

last,  late  on  the  seventh  afternoon,  they  came 
out  upon  the  southern  slope  of  the  range,  and 
not  far  from  its  base.  At  their  feet  a  great  tree- 
covered  plain  extended,  dotted  here  and  there 
with  low  hills,  while  far  to  the  southwest  there 
gleamed  in  the  afternoon  sunlight  another 
mountain  ridge. 

Thus  far  the  warrior  band  had  conducted 
themselves  as  though  in  a  friendly  region. 
From  the  moment  that  they  emerged  from  the 
last  mountain  defile  into  the  forest  clad  plain, 
however,  their  manner  underwent  a  radical 
change,  and  they  marched  as  though  in  immed- 
iate expectation  of  attack. 

Taking  a  course  which  led  toward  the  distant 
range  of  hills  in  the  southwest,  they  passed  on  at 
their  best  speed,  scarcely  pausing  for  meals, 
and  when  in  camp  one  half  of  the  force  were 
kept  on  guard  while  the  other  half  slept.  Three 
days  were  passed  in  this  way,  and  then  they 
once  more  approached  rising  ground. 

That  the  party  was  now  nearing  home  the 
trio  could  readily  see  from  their  eager  faces, 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

and  by  the  additional  speed  they  attained.  Just 
as  the  sun  was  sinking  behind  the  hi] Is  a  sudden 
turn  in  the  path  brought  them  to  a  tall  wooden 
palisade,  before  which  the  column  came  to  an 
abrupt  halt. 

It  was  only  for  a  moment.  Then  they  filed 
through  the  narrow  opening  in  the  wall,  which 
was  guarded  by  a  company  of  soldiers  who 
greeted  their  returning  friends  with  loud 
shouts.  After  a  short  distance  had  been  trav- 
ersed, a  second  palisade,  higher  and  more 
stoutly  built  than  the  first,  was  encountered. 

Passing  this  the  roadway  led  up  the  hillside 
between  impenetrable  thickets  of  undergrowth, 
becoming  more  and  more  difficult  and  rugged 
until  at  length  the  ground  was  covered  with 
large  round  stones,  over  which  the  trio  stumbled 
in  imminent  danger  of  breaking  their  necks. 
Every  dozen  rods  or  so  there  was  an  abrupt 
turn,  which  ten  men  could  have  held  against 
an  army. 

This  path  finally  terminated  against  the  side 
of  a  cliff  thirty  feet  in  height.  Eude  ladders 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

scaled  this  rocky  rampart,  and  up  them  the  na- 
tives swarmed.  It  was  with  some  misgivings 
that  the  Americans  essayed  to  climb  when  their 
turn  came,  but  all  succeeded  in  reaching  the  top 
in  safety. 

They  were  now  upon  a  broad,  rocky  platform 
some  twenty-five  acres  in  extent,  jutting  out 
from  the  hillside,  which  rose  sheer  and  forbid- 
ding in  the  rear,  while  on  the  other  three  sides 
there  was  an  equally  precipitous  descent  to  the 
level  of  the  plain  below. 

Built  near  the  center  of  this  impregnable  pla- 
teau was  a  cluster  of  low,  thatched  huts,  with 
high  peaked  roofs.  They  did  not  stand  upon  a 
raised  platform,  as  in  the  case  of  the  coast  vil- 
lage, but  upon  the  ground  itself. 

From  these  dwellings  there  now  trooped 
forth  an  orderly  company  of  natives,  at  whose 
head  walked  a  tall,  austere  man,  with  a  clear 
cut,  intelligent  face,  and  a  commanding  mien. 
The  officer  in  charge  of  the  returning  soldiers 
advanced  to  meet  him,  and  made  a  deferential 
report  of  some  length. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

The  chief  heard  him  through  in  silence.  Then 
walking  directly  to  the  castaways,  who  stood 
somewhat  apart  from  the  others,  he  said  in 
broken  English : 

"Welcome!  Welcome!  You  glad  welcome 
to  Koapina ! ' ' 


CHAPTER  V. 

A  PEBILOUS  JOURNEY. 

As  THE  old  chief  uttered  his  words  of  greeting, 
the  trio  stood  lost  in  astonishment,  wonder  and 
bewilderment.  That  they  should  be  accosted  in 
their  own  tongue  here  in  a  portion  of  the  world 
which  they  had  every  reason  to  believe  had 
never  before  been  visited  by  white  men  was  in- 
comprehensible. And  the  fact  that  it  was  a  na- 
tive who  thus  welcomed  them  was  still  more 
astounding. 

There  was  a  suspicion  of  a  twinkle  in  the  keen 
eyes  of  the  stalwart  savage  as  he  noted  their 
perplexity.    He  simply  said,  however: 
' '  Me,  Semessi.    What  name  belong  yours  ? ' ' 
By  this  time  Dr.  Thornton  had  sufficiently  re- 
covered himself  to  answer: 

-70- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"I  am  Thornton;  he  is  Harrie;  and  he  is 
Leigh, ' '  pointing  to  himself  and  each  of  the  lads 
in  turn. 

" Thornton  -  Harrie  -  Leigh,"  the  native  re- 
peated slowly.  "Yes,  me  'member." 

'  *  But  how  does  it  happen  that  you  speak  Eng- 
lish!" inquired  the  physician  eagerly.  "Have 
you  ever  been  away  among  white  men  ! ' ' 

Semessi  shook  his  head  gravely,  but  made  no 
further  reply. 

"Where  are  we  being  taken!"  persisted  the 
gentleman.  * '  Why  have  we  been  brought  so  far 
from  the  coast?  Can  you  not  tell  us  this!" 

The  chief's  face  remained  impassive  as  he  re- 
turned simply : 

"Me  no  tell  now.  You  soon  see  Dreldim 
Orynra.  Then  you  know  all  why." 

' '  Dreldim  Orynra— what  is  that !  Is  it  a  man, 
a  woman,  or  a  thing!  Where  is  it!"  queried 
the  American. 

Semessi  opened  his  mouth  as  if  to  speak,  but 
closed  it  again  without  doing  so.  He  glanced 
about  him  perplexedly  for  an  instant,  and  then 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

pointed  to  a  clump  of  flowers  growing  in  a  cleft 
of  the  rock  a  few  rods  away.  The  plants  were 
tall  and  stately  in  form,  each  stalk  being  crown- 
ed with  a  large  bell-shaped  flower  of  a  pale, 
golden  yellow. 

*  *  What  you  say  that ! "  he  inquired. 

"Why,  I  should  call  it  a  lily,"  Dr.  Thornton 
responded.  "A  beautiful,  golden  lily." 

"Yes,"  Semessi  assented.  "Dreldim  Orynra 
—Golden  Lily.  That  same.  You  see  Golden 
Lily,  then  you  know."  Turning  abruptly,  he 
said  in  a  different  tone :  ' '  Come. ' ' 

Wonderingly  the  trio  followed  him  across  the 
open  space  to  the  village,  where  he  stopped  be- 
fore a  small  hut,  and  motioned  for  them  to  en- 
ter. With  the  brief  command:  "You  stay 
here, ' '  he  stalked  away. 

The  castaways  found  themselves  in  a  room 
that  greatly  resembled  the  one  in  which  they 
had  lived  while-  among  the  coast  natives.  The 
floor  was  of  hard-packed  earth,  however,  in- 
stead of  timber.  In  one  corner  was  a  pile  of 

-72- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

mats,  while  near  the  center  was  a  low,  stool-like 
table  on  which  stood  a  few  earthen  dishes. 

As  the  form  of  the  chief  disappeared  around 
a  neighboring  dwelling  Harrie  turned  to  his 
father  inquiringly. 

''Isn't  this  strange?"  he  began  eagerly. 
"Didn't  it  seem  odd  to  hear  that  old  fellow 
talk  in  our  language?  How  do  you  suppose 
he  learned  to  speak  it  ?  And  who  do  you  think 
this  Golden  Lily  he  spoke  of  is?" 

His  father  smiled.  "You  must  remember, 
my  son,  that  I  am  just  as  much  at  loss  as  you 
are,"  was  his  response.  "I  had  no  idea  that 
travelers  had  ever  penetrated  to  this  distance 
from  the  northern  shore,  and  even  if  they  had 
done  so,  it  would  not  explain  this  Semessi's  fa- 
miliarity with  our  tongue.  While  he  speaks 
very  brokenly  he  appears  to  understand  all  I 
said. 

'  *  As  to  your  second  theory  I  can  hardly  frame 
an  opinion.  The  Golden  Lily  must  be  a  person  of 
some  importance  in  the  tribe,  and  I  should 
judge  a  woman,  for  the  name  would  hardly  be 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

applied  to  a  man.  But  why  we  are  being  car- 
ried to  her  I  cannot  understand.  It  is  all  a  mys- 
tery to  me,  and  one  to  which  I  can  find  no  clue." 

"Isn't  it  possible  that  the  chief  has  at  some 
time  been  at  settlements  on  the  south  coast, 
among  the  English  and  there  learned  the  lan- 
guage?" inquired  Leigh.  "And  that  later  on  he 
returned  to  his  own  people?" 

"Such  an  explanation  is  plausible,"  the  phy- 
sician admitted.  "And  yet  the  man  has  not  the 
appearance  of  one  who  has  been  much  among 
the  influences  of  our  civilization.  Natives  who 
have  been  at  the  settlements  usually  try  to  imi- 
tate the  manners  and  dress  of  the  white  men, 
while  this  fellow  is  as  representative  an-  old  hea- 
then as  we  have  seen.  I  can  only  repeat  that  it 
is  very  perplexing.'* 

"Do  you  believe  we  have  much  farther  to 
go?"  Harrie  asked.  "He  said  we  should  see 
this  Golden  Lily  soon.  Do  you  think  that  means 
to-morrow,  or  within  two  or  three  days?" 

"I  cannot  tell,"  Dr.  Thornton  returned.  "We 
must  wait  for  the  events  to  answer  these  ques- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

tions.  It  is  beyond  our  abilities  to  foretell  what 
is  before  us." 

' '  I  hope  that  we  won 't  have  any  more  moun- 
tain climbing  to  do, ' '  remarked  Leigh.  ' '  I  have 
had  enough  to  last  me  for  a  long  time." 

"I  agree  with  you  there,"  his  friend  rejoined. 
"But  there's  one  thing  which  has  been  bother- 
ing me  ever  since  we  crossed  the  mountains. 
That  is,  how  are  we  to  find  our  way  back  to  the 
coast,  if  we  succeed  in  escaping  from  our  cap- 
tors'? It  looks  like  a  tremendous  task  to  me." 

"You  are  right,"  his  father  answered.  "I 
have  beken  thinking  of  the  same  difficulty.  But 
we  must  not  be  discouraged  at  this  early  stage 
of  affairs.  Our  best  hope  of  returning  home 
eventually  rests  in  our  keeping  our  courage 
fresh  and  unbroken.  In  any  event  we  cannot 
escape  at  present." 

"I  should  say  not,"  exclaimed  Leigh.  "If 
the  path  by  which  we  came  is  the  only  approach 
to  this  village,  we  may  as  well  give  up  at  once. 
I  never  saw  a  place  so  well  guarded  in  my  life. 

-75- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

They  don't  mean  to  be  taken  by  surprise,  as  the 
poor  fellows  down  on  the  bay  were. ' ' 

' '  That 's  where  they  show  their  superior  intel- 
ligence,"  was  Harrie's  comment.  "If  those  vil- 
lagers had  possessed  some  such  a  system  of  de- 
fense, we  would  not  be  here  now. ' ' 

Further  conversation  was  prevented  by  the 
entrance  of  Semessi,  accompanied  by  two 
women,  bearing  several  bowls  of  steaming  food. 
This  they  deposited  on  the  little  stand,  and  at  a 
sign  from  the  chief,  withdrew. 

"Eat,"  was  the  old  native's  laconic  remark, 
pointing  to  the  repast. 

As  they  took  their  places  on  the  ground 
around  the  table,  Dr.  Thornton  turned  to  their 
host,  asking: 

"How  long  before  we  shall  see  your  Golden 
Lily  1  Is  it  far  to  where  she  is ! " 

'  *  See  soon, ' '  was  the  brief  reply.    ' '  Not  far. ' ' 

"Can't  you  tell  us  something  more  than  that, 
Semessi  ? ' '  Harrie  questioned  impulsively. 

The  chief  shook  his  head  and  they  were 
forced  to  be  content  with  the  scant  information 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

already  furnished.  When  they  had  finished  eat- 
ing the  women  were  recalled  and  carried  away 
the  remnants  of  the  meal.  Semessi  lingered  for 
a  short  time  longer,  and  then  he,  too,  left  them. 

The  trio  were  so  worn  from  their  long  jour- 
ney that  they  were  glad  to  lie  down  upon  the 
mats  provided  for  that  purpose,  and  almost  im- 
mediately fell  asleep.  It  was  barely  light  when 
they  awoke,  but  their  breakfast  was  awaiting 
them.  Scarcely  had  they  eaten  when  the  chief 
entered  the  room,  and  said : 

' '  Come.     We  go  see  Golden  Lily  now. ' ' 

The  castaways  followed  out  into  the  village 
and  on  the  open  plateau  beyond.  The  sun 
shone  dimly  through  a  thin  haze  which  rested 
upon  the  mountain  top,  and  obscured  the  plain 
below.  A  short  distance  from  the  hamlet  a 
dozen  soldiers  stood  waiting.  Placing  his  pris- 
oners in  the  center  of"  this  group,  Semessi 
stepped  to  their  head  and  gave  the  command  to 
march. 

To  the  surprise  of  the  Americans  the  party, 
instead  of  descending  by  the  ladders  to  the 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

rocky  cliffs  below,  advanced  directly  toward  the 
precipitous  mountain  side  at  the  rear  of  the 
platform.  Passing  around  a  thickly  growing 
clump  of  bushes,  they  entered  a  yawning  open- 
.ing  in  the  face  of  the  cliff. 

The  transition  from  the  sunlight  to  the  in- 
tense darkness  of  the  cavern  was  so  sudden  that 
the  castaways  for  the  moment  were  unable  to 
distinguish  their  surrroundings.  Then,  as  their 
eyes  became  more  accustomed  to  the  gloom, 
they  saw  that  they  were  in  a  natural  tunnel, 
whose  rounding  sides  met  just  above  their 
heads.  The  floor  was  smooth  and  level,  and  the 
walking  good.  For  five  minutes  they  marched 
on  through  the  subterranean  passage,  when, 
turning  a  sharp  corner,  they  ernerged  in  a  nar- 
row ravine. 

•  Up  this  they  advanced  for  an  hour  or  more, 
and  then  its  two  sides  came  together  above  their 
heads,  enfolding  them  in  darkness  once  more. 
At  the  end  of  this  second  tunnel  the  path  fol- 
lowed a  shelving  ledge  on  the  mountain  side, 
winding  in  and  out,  and  steadily  rising. 

-78- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

At  the  close  of  another  hour  the  trail  led  into 
a  deep  gorge  between  two  towering  mountain 
peaks,  whose  sides  rose  bare  and  forbidding, 
without  a  tree  or  bit  of  vegetation  to  relieve  the 
deep  grey  masses  of  the  rock.  Gradually  the 
walls  of  the  gorge  drew  together,  until  they 
were  barely  twenty-five  feet  apart. 

The  path  now  left  the  mountain  side,  and 
swung  out  across  the  chasm  upon  a  natural 
bridge  of  stone  which  extended  to  the  face  of 
the  opposite  cliff.  This  viaduct  was  scarcely 
twelve  inches  wide,  while  on  either  side  were 
the  frightful  depths  of  the  abyss,  whose  lower 
regions  lay  shrouded  in  gloom  a  thousand  feet 
below. 

Upon  this  bridge  the  foremost  natives  filed 
unconcernedly,  while  the  three  Americans  fol- 
lowed with  quaking  hearts  and  dizzy  brains. 
Foot  by  foot  they  advanced  until  they  had 
reached  the  center.  Then  Harrie,  who  was  in 
the  rear  of  his  two  companions,  saw  Leigh  sway 
uncertainly  as  though  about  to  fall.  The  next 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

moment  the  lad  sat  down  heavily  astride  the 
pathway  and  fell  forward  in  a  dead  faint. 

Fortunately  Harrie,  by  a  supreme  effort,  re- 
pressed the  cry  which  sprang  to  his  lips  and 
stood  immovable,  waiting  until  his  father  had 
reached  the  other  side  of  the  gorge.  At  that 
moment  Semessi,  who  was  at  the  head  of  the 
column,  and  already  some  distance  up  the  op- 
posite mountain  side,  glanced  back  and  saw  the 
prostrate  youth.  Instantly  he  turned  to  his 
men,  halted  them  by  a  word,  and  pressed  past 
them  to  the  point  where  Dr.  Thornton  was 
standing. 

That  gentleman  had  just  discovered  Leigh's 
perilous  position,  and'was  about  to  go  to  his  aid, 
when  the  chief  stopped  him.  Without  a  word 
the  native  pulled  the  physician  back,  and  ad- 
vanced along  the  narrow  pathway  to  the  boy. 
Then  he  picked  up  the  limp  form,  deliberately 
turned,  and  retraced  his  steps  to  the  Doctor's 
side. 

"Boy's  head  weak,"  he  remarked.  "Me 
carry  him. ' '  Whereupon  he  gave  the  command 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

to  resume  the  march,  and  the  company  again 
moved  on. 

Three  minutes  more  brought  them  to  the  end 
of  the  perilous  path,  and  they  rounded  a  spur 
of  the  mountain  to  come  out  upon  a  broad, 
grass-covered  plateau  of  some  extent.  Here  the 
chief  gently  deposited  Leigh  on  the  ground, 
while  Dr.  Thornton  said  feelingly: 

"You  have  done  a  brave  deed,  Semessi,  and 
one  which  we  can  never  expect  to  repay.  I 
want  you  to  feel,  however,  that  you  have  my 
sincerest  gratitude  and  that  of  the  lads  as  well. ' ' 

The  native  nodded  silently,  though  his  eyes 
gleamed  with  satisfaction,  and  the  physician 
gave  his  attention  to  the  swooning  boy.  He  had 
already  regained  consciousness,  and  was  soon 
able  to  sit  up.  When  his  friends  explained  to 
him  how  the  coolness  and  steady  nerve  of  the 
chief  had  saved  his  life,  Leigh  turned  and  said 
with  emotion: 

"I  don't  know  how  I  can  thank  you,  sir,  for 
saving  my  life.  I  was  so  dizzy  that  I  could 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

hardly  see  the  pathway.  Ugh!  It  makes  me 
shiver  now  to  think  of  it ! " 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  the  party  were 
again  in  motion,  this  time  across  the  level  pla- 
teau. On  all  sides  rose  the  lofty  mountain 
peaks,  some  of  them  clothed  with  forests,  others 
bare  masses  of  the  dark  colored  rock,  while  the 
summits  of  all  were  hidden  by  the  fog. 

As  they  left  the  plain  at  its  southern  edge 
they  crossed  a  deep  gully  on  a  swaying  bridge 
of  rattan,  which  was  suspended  from  two  over- 
hanging trees,  one  on  either  bank.  Then  the 
road  lay  along  the  face  of  the  cliff  once  more, 
but  upon  a  wide  shelf  which  afforded  ample 
footing  for  them  to  walk  two  abreast. 

Shortly  after  noon  the  trio  became  conscious 
of  a  dull,  roaring  sound  on  ahead.  As  they 
advanced  the  noise  increased  in  volume,  until 
the  very  air  seemed  to  throb  and  quiver  with 
its  intensity.  Then  a  sudden  turn  brought  them 
within  sight  of  the  fall.  A  wide  sheet  of  water 
plunged  from  the  mountain  side  in  a  glittering 
mass  down  into  the  valley  below. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

Seemingly  this  deluge  fell  directly  across  the 
pathway,  and  the  Americans  were  beginning  to 
wonder  how  they  were  to  pass,  when  they  found 
that  the  falling  liquid  cleared  the  ledge  by  sev- 
eral feet,  leaving  an  unobstructed  passage  be- 
hind it.  Along  the  dripping  rocks,  where  the 
light  came  with  a  dim,  greenish  hue  through  the 
watery  screen,  almost  deafened  by  the  roar, 
Semessi  conducted  them,  and  out  upon  a  gentle 
slope  which  led  down  into  the  valley  which  lay 
extended  at  their  feet. 

Here  he  stopped  for  a  brief  interval  that  they 
might  take  in  the  peaceful  scene.  Away  to  the 
west  for  nearly  five  miles  the  plain  extended, 
bounded  everywhere  by  precipitous  cliffs  of 
naked  rock.  Through  its  center  wound  a  broad 
stream,  fed  by  the  cataract  behind  them.  Open 
meadow  and  leafy  forest  alternated  in  pleasing 
contrast,  while  here  and  there  were  clustered 
groups  of  the  curious  native  huts.  Near  the  val- 
ley's center  a  larger  collection  of  these  dwell- 
ings could  be  seen,  almost  worthy  of  being 

-83- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

called  a  town.  Towards  this  Semessi  pointed, 
saying : 

"See!    Golden  Lily  there!" 

The  next  moment  the  fog,  which  all  the  morn- 
ing had  hovered  over  the  hill  tops,  rolled  down 
and  shrouded  the  whole  scene  in  its  vague  folds. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  GOLDEN  LILY. 

"COME,"  said  Semessi,  and  the  column  again 
moved  forward. 

Upon  reaching  the  plain  below,  the  path 
turned  and  followed  the  left  bank  of  the  stream. 
The  veil  of  mist  hung  low,  covering  forest  and 
meadow,  and  shutting  in  about  the  party  like  a 
wall.  Yet  the  trio  as  they  passed  could  see  here 
and  there  the  evidences  of  a  numerous  popula- 
tion. Once  or  twice  they  came  to  small  villages, 
in  which  the  huts  were  similar  to  those  at  the 
hamlet  where  they  had  spent  the  previous  night. 
The  gables  were  high  and  pointed,  while  be- 
tween them  the  ridge  pole  took  a  sagging  curve, 
which  imparted  a  quaint  look  to  the  thatched 
structure. 

-85  - 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

Few  people  were  astir  in  these  places,  and  the 
fog  prevented  any  attention  from  being  called 
to  the  white  men  as  they  passed.  It  was  three- 
quarters  of  an  hour  later  that  they  drew  near 
the  larger  town  at  the  valley's  center.  On  its 
outskirts  Semessi  left  the  beaten  pathway,  and 
led  the  Americans  by  a  circuitous  route  to  a 
building  which  stood  at  some  distance  from  its 
nearest  neighbor. 

Here  he  left  them,  posting  a  guard  at  the 
door,  though  neither  of  the  trio  could  see  the 
necessity  for  the  precaution. 

"I  don't  see  why  he  does  that,"  said  Leigh, 
"fie  certainly  can't  expect  us  to  escape  from 
the  valley.  We  could  never  find  our  way  to  the 
coast  if  we  were  back  at  the  first  village,  and 
I  'm  sure  from  here  it  is  an  impossibility.  Don 't 
you  think  so,  Doctor?" 

"It  would  be  a  most  difficult  undertaking,  I 
admit,"  the  gentleman  made  answer.  "But 
under  favorable  conditions  I  believe  that  it 
could  be  done.  We  shall  not  care  to  attempt  it 
in  our  present  circumstances,  however,  and  I 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

fail  to  see  any  reason  for  placing  us  under 
guard. ' ' 

"Perhaps  it  is  not  so  much  to  keep  us  from 
running  away  as  it  is  to  prevent  the  natives 
from  disturbing  us, ' '  suggested  Harrie.  * '  Sem- 
essi  may  have  reasons  for  wishing  to  keep  our 
presence  in  town  a  secret  for  the  present. ' ' 

"Possibly  you  are  right,"  assented  his  father. 
"But  in  either  case  it  matters  little.  Here  we 
are,  and  here  we  are  likely  to  remain,  for  some 
time  at  least.  I  must  confess  that  our  chances 
of  escape  seem  to  be  rapidly  diminishing.  I 
never  heard  of  a  place  which  was  quite  so  diffi- 
cult of  access  as  is  this.  The  tribe  who  live  here 
do  not  mean  to  be  in  danger  of  a  visit  from  a 
hostile  clan." 

"It  puzzles  me  to  understand  why  they  should 
go  the  long  distance  to  the  coast  in  order  to 
destroy  that  one  village.  All  they  gained  by  it 
was  a  couple  of  dozen  heads,  and  three  prison- 
ers, ' '  Harrie  remarked  thoughtfully.  '  <  It  seems 
a  very  unaccountable  proceeding. ' ' 

"Indeed  it  does,"  Dr.  Thornton  returned.  "I 

-87- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

have  been  striving  to  find  some  solution  of  the 
problem  for  several  days,  but  it  is  just  as  per- 
plexing as  ever.  Our  only  way  to  ascertain  the 
cause  is  to  keep  our  eyes  and  ears  open.  Have 
either  of  you  boys  been  able  to  learn  anything 
of  the  native  tongue?" 

"  I  Ve  got  hold  of  a  few  words,  but  not  many, ' ' 
his  son  answered  promptly.  " There's  been  too 
much  climbing  to  do  for  me  to  have  any  time  for 
talking  with  the  natives.  I  shall  try  to  learn  as 
much  as  I  can  now,  however." 

"Do  so,"  the  physician  said  heartily.  "A 
knowledge  of  the  language  may  prove  invalu- 
able to  us  later  on.  And  we  will  also  be  gather- 
ing such  information  as  to  the  extent  and  char- 
acter of  this  valley  as  we  may  be  able  to  secure. 
Though  we  are  so  far  from  the  sea,  and  in  GO 
discouraging  a  situation,  we  must  be  planning 
and  preparing  for  a  return  to  the  coast.  We 
must  not  give  up  hope  simply  because  of  adverse 
circumstances. ' » 

"We  don't  seem  to  be  much  nearer  our  inter- 
view with  the  Golden  Lily  than  we  were  this 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

morning,"  put  in  Leigh.  "I  am  almost  begin- 
ning to  doubt  the  existence  of  such  a  person.  I 
guess  that  Semessi  is  putting  up  some  sort  of  a 
joke  on  us.  He  looks  as  if  he  might  have  a  good 
deal  of  quiet  fun  in  him." 

"Patience,  lads,  patience,"  was  Dr.  Thorn- 
ton 's  rejoinder.  "You  must  not  be  in  such  a 
hurry.  Time  will  reveal  many  of  the  things  you 
wish  to  know,  if  only  you  can  wait  without  fret- 
ting. I  have  considerable  confidence  in  our 
friend  the  chief,  in  spite  of  your  mischief." 

And  the  gentleman 's  faith  was  to  be  fully  vin- 
dicated in  the  ensuing  weeks  in  a  way  of  which 
neither  he  nor  the  lads  had  any  idea. 

The  day  passed  and  night  came  without 
change  in  the  condition  of  the  prisoners.  Their 
evening  meal  was  brought  in  to  them  by  the 
guard,  who  removed  the  dishes  when  they  had 
eaten.  Otherwise  they  were  undisturbed.  At 
an  early  hour  they  retired  to  the  pile  of  mats 
in  one  corner  of  the  hut,  and  were  soon  slum- 
bering quietly. 

Just  after  breakfast  the  following  morning 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

the  sentinel  entered  and  signed  for  them  to  fol- 
low him.  Outside  the  door  a  squad  of  armed 
men  were  in  waiting,  who  fell  in  behind  the  trio, 
as  they  accompanied  their  guide  into  the  town. 
As  they  walked  on  they  saw  that  it  consisted  of 
several  long  rows  of  dwellings,  extending  back 
from  the  river  at  right  angles,  and  crossed  by 
other  narrow  streets  which  ran  parallel  with 
the  stream. 

The  buildings  were  of  the  same  rude  type  as 
those  already  seen,  but,  though  on  every  hand 
were  abundant  traces  of  the  native  population, 
not  a  person  was  to  be  seen.  The  Americans 
wondered  somewhat  at  this,  but  their  thoughts 
were  quickly  turned  to  other  matters. 

Eeaching  the  water  side,  the  native  led  them 
a, short  distance  down  the  stream,  which  parted, 
its  two  branches  flowing  so  as  to  enclose  a  small 
circular  island,  whose  level  was  several  feet 
above  that  of  the  adjacent  mainland.  A  high 
palisade  ran  about  its  edge,  effectually  shutting 
off  the  view.  A  bridge  of  timber  spanned  the 
left  branch  of  the  river,  here  not  over  forty  feet 


Along  the  dripping  rocks,  Semessi  conducted  them 

(Page  81) 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

in  width,  but  deep  and  swift,  and  across  this  the 
trio  were  conducted. 

An  opening  in  the  wall  admitted  the  party  to 
the  interior  of  the  enclosure,  and  they  now  saw 
why  the  streets  were  deserted.  From  its  outer 
rim  the  islet  sloped  sharply  on  all  sides  to  the 
center,  thus  forming  a  natural  amphitheater. 
Within  this  were  gathered  several  thousand  na- 
tives, who  were  sitting  in  orderly  rows  upon 
mats  spread  on  the  ground. 

A  broad  aisle  extended  from  the  gateway  to 
the  open  space  in  the  center  of  the  area,  and  at 
its  opposite  extremity  there  was  a  rude  sort  of 
pavilion.  Towards  this  the  Americans  were 
led.  Just  before  the  canopy  their  guide  halted 
them,  and  fell  back  among  the  guard  behind. 

The  pavilion  proved,  upon  closer  inspection, 
to  be  but  the  porch  of. a  low,  square  structure 
in  its  rear.  The  raised  flooring  was  covered 
with  a  thick  layer  of  mats,  while  in  the  center 
stood  a  rude  couch,  over  which  was  thrown  a 
covering  of  what  the  lads  later  on  learned  were 
kangaroo  skins.  Across  the  back  of  the  plat- 

-91- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

form  there  hung  a  curtain  of  woven  grasses, 
dyed  a  dull  red. 

Presently  this  curtain  parted,  and  Semessi 
stepped  forth,  followed  by  a  young  girl  whose 
advent  the  waiting  audience  greeted  with  loud 
shouts  of  "Dreldim  Orynra!  Dreldim  Orynra!" 

To  the  astonished  Americans  the  maiden 
seemed  a  very  vision  of  light.  Tall  and  slender, 
she  moved  with  a  stately  grace  which  was  truly 
regal.  Her  face,  pale  and  delicate,  was  almost 
angelic  in  its  sweetness  and  purity.  But  her 
crowning  glory  was  her  hair.  In  great,  yellow 
waves  it  enveloped  head  and  shoulders,  falling 
far  below  her  waist.  As  she  moved  it  caught 
and  reflected  the  rays  of  the  morning  sun  like 
molten  gold. 

Behind  her  came  a  second  chieftain,  much 
younger  than  Semessi,  .and  decked  out  in  the 
full  native  regalia,  while  the  older  man  wore 
none  of  the  savage  finery  except  a  head  dress  of 
feathers.  Behind  this  gorgeous  dignitary  was 
a  misshapen,  hideous  hunchback; 

The  young  girl  advanced  to  the  couch  and 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

took  her  place  upon  it,  with  Semessi  on  the 
right.  His  comrade  stood  at  her  left,  while  the 
dwarf  crouched  at  her  feet,  his  broad  face  con- 
torted with  horrible  grimaces. 

Certainly  a  stranger  picture  never  man  saw. 
In  the  center,  the  fair  maid,  her  beautiful  form 
enveloped  in  a  yellow  mist  of  hair,  her  eyes 
alight  with  excitement.  At  one  side,  the  bronze 
face  of  the  old  chief,  silhouetted  against  the  dull 
red  of  the  curtain,  might  have  been  that  of  some 
old  Roman  noble. 

Upon  the  other  hand  the  younger  man  stood, 
a  very  picture  of  savage  manhood.  A  narrow 
girdle  of  grass  encircled  his  waist.  Armlets 
and  anklets  of  various  colored  feathers  were  in 
striking  contrast  to  the  dark  brown  of  his  skin. 
About  his  neck  were  string  after  string  of 
white  shells,  while  his  head  dress  shone  with  the 
bright  plumage  of  a  score  of  winged  victims. 
From  either  ear  hung  immense  rings  of  shell, 
while  the  nose  bone  was  of  large  size  and  highly 
polished. 

The  grinning  demon  crouched  at  the  foot  of 

-93- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

the  couch  only  enhanced  the  spiritual  beauty  of 
the  girl  above  him,  and  added  the  finishing 
touch  to  the  odd  quartette. 

In  open  eyed  amazement  the  trio  gazed.  So 
this  was  the  Golden  Lily !  Surely  never  sweeter 
flower  grew,  nor  amid  more  unpromising  sur- 
roundings. Never  was  a  name  better  deserved. 
Thus  the  lads  thought  in  the  brief  interval 
which  elapsed  between  the  entrance  of  the  maid 
and  the  commencement  of  the  hearing,  for  such 
it  proved  to  be. 

No  sooner  had  the  young  queen  taken  her  seat 
than  Semessi  stepped  forward  with  uplifted 
hand,  and  addressed  the  assembly  briefly.  As 
he  ceased  speaking,  the  officer  who  had  been  in 
command  of  the  raiding  party  stepped  forward 
from  a  position  behind  the  trio,  and  gave  an 
account  of  the  expedition,  or  so  the  Americans 
judged.  Then  the  old  chief  took  up  the  narra- 
tive once  more,  bringing  the  story  down  to  their 
arrival  in  the  town. 

At  the  close  there  came  a  momentary  hush. 
Then  the  maid  rose  and  stepped  to  the  edge  of 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

the  platform.  Looking  directly  into  the  faces 
of  the  trio  with  eyes  that  shone  with  emotion 
she  spoke  in  a  voice  of  flute-like  clearness. 

"My  brothers,  you  are  welcome,"  she  said. 
"Welcome  to  Koapina,  welcome  to  the  land  of 
the  Golden  Lily.  Though  you  came  not  of  your 
own  accord,  you  are  none  the  less  welcome,  oh 
my  brothers  with  the  white  faces.  I,  Dreldim 
Orynra,  the  Golden  Lily,  greet  you  in  the  name 
of  my  people.  Our  hearts  and  our  homes  are 
yours,  my  brothers.  Freely  we  offer  them  to 
you. 

"Though  it  be  not  our  custom,  and  though  it 
be  not  courteous  to  question  guests  of  our  tribe 
so  soon  after  their  arrival,  yet  I  know  that  you 
will  tell  us,  oh  fair-skinned  strangers,  from 
whence  you  come,  and  how,  and  why.  Let  our 
hearts  be  open  to  one  another,  and  let  not  evil 
thoughts  come  between  us." 

Dr.  Thornton  responded  for  himself  and  the 
lads,  thanking  the  queen  for  her  words  of  wel- 
come, and  in  a  few  sentences  explained  how 
they  came  to  be  in  the  coast  village  at  the  time 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

of  the  raid  by  her  forces.  But  lie  deemed  it 
wiser  to  ask  no  questions  as  to  the  reason  for 
bringing  them  inland,  or  as  to  their  future. 
When  he  had  done  the  girl  said : 

"It  is  well,  my  brother." 

Then  she  turned  and  addressed  the  people  at 
some  length  in  the  native  tongue,  evidently 
translating  the  doctor's  remarks.  While  she 
was  speaking  Harrie  noticed  that  a  deep  frown 
overspread  the  features  of  the  young  chief, 
though  for  what  reason  he  could  not  surmise. 
The  populace,  however,  seemed  to  be  pleased, 
for  a  loud  murmur  of  approval  arose  as  she 
ceased. 

Turning  to  Semessi  the  queen  uttered  a  low 
remark.  He  stepped  back  and  raised  the  cur- 
tain at  the  rear  of  the  platform  for  her  to  pass. 
The  two  chiefs  immediately  followed,  but  the 
dwarf,  grinning  evilly,  hopped  to  the  ground 
and  advanced  until  he  stood  directly  in  front  of 
the  Americans.  Then  he  spat  at  them  angrily, 
snarling  out  in  the  native  speech: 

* '  Dogs !    White  faced  dogs ! ' ' 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

Before  the  trio  had  recovered  from  their  sur- 
prise the  guard  came  forward  and  conducted 
them  back  to  their  quarters.  When  they  were 
again  alone,  Harrie  drew  a  long  breath  as  he 
turned  to  Leigh,  asking : 

"How  about  the  Golden  Lily  now,  old  fel- 
low? Do  you  still  think  Semessi  was  joking?" 

"I  give  in,"  his  friend  returned.  "Isn't  she 
beautiful?  And  she  does  seem  like  a  lily,  too; 
the  name  just  suits.  But  she  can't  be  a  native, 
can  she, "Doctor?"  and  he  turned  to  the  phy- 
sician. 

"I  should  say  not,  if  there  were  any  way  to 
account  for  the  presence  of  an  English  or  an 
American  girl  here,"  was  the  reply.  "For  if 
not  a  native,  she  must  be  one  of  the  other  two. 
Yet  I  can't  see  how  she  speaks  our  language  so 
well  unless  she  is  of  our  race.  It  is  simply  a 
greater  mystery  than  ever." 

"Isn't  she  fine,  though?"  Leigh  went  on, 
eagerly.  * '  I  never  saw  a  girl  who  was  so  beau- 
tiful in  my  life!  And  what  magnificent  hair 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

she  has !  I  don't  wonder  at  the  name  they  gave 
her." 

"You'll  be  falling  in  love  with  her  if  you 
don't  look  out,"  laughed  Harrie.  " Don't  you 
think  it's  a  trifle  presumptuous  for  a  plain 
American*  citizen  to  aspire  to  the  hand  of  a 
queen?" 

' '  I  guess  a  plain  American  citizen  is  the  equal 
of  any  queen  or  king  alive,"  his  comrade  re- 
turned stoutly.  "And  you  know  you  think  just 
the  same  as  I  do,  only  you're  afraid  to  say  so." 

"But  why  do  you  suppose  the  hunchback 
vented  his  spite  on  us  as  he  did?"  queried  Har- 
rie, turning  to  his  father.  "We've  never  done 
him  any  harm." 

"I  can't  see  any  reason  for  his  act,"  the  phy- 
sician responded.  "It  may  have  been  simply  a 
freak  of  ill-nature.  Dwarfs  are  notoriously 
cross." 

"And  I  also  noticed  that  the  young  chief 
seemed  put  out  at  the  way  in  which  the  queen 
received  us,"  the  lad  went  on.  "Perhaps  he 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

saw  in  Leigh  a  dangerous  rival,"  he  added 
smilingly. 

"It  may  prove  a  serious  matter  should  he 
take  a  dislike  to  us,"  his  father  said  gravely. 
"But  we  will  trust  no  such  misfortune  will  be- 
fall us." 

For  the  remainder  of  the  day  the  Americans 
were  undisturbed.  The  lads  used  the  oppor- 
tunity in  an  attempt  at  conversation  with  their 
guard,  but  made  no  perceptible  progress.  It 
was  not  until  the  evening  was  well  advanced 
that  Semessi  again  called  upon  them.  Then  he 
appeared  in  the  doorway  and  said : 

' '  Come.     You  see  Golden  Lilv  now. ' ' 


CHAPTER  VII. 

AN  APPEAL  FOE  AID. 

WITH  conflicting  emotions  the  trio  followed  the 
chief.  The  sentinel  who  had  been  posted  at 
the  door  during  the  day  had  disappeared,  and 
no  one  questioned  their  passage.  The  mist  had 
again  rolled  down  from  the  mountain  peaks, 
and  added  to  the  darkness  of  the  night.  The 
various  members  of  the  party  could  barely  dis- 
tinguish one  another's  forms  in  the  gloom,  and 
it  was  only  by  keeping  in  close  contact  that  they 
escaped  separation. 

The  town  was  perfectly  quiet,  and  not  a  soul 
was  abroad  in  its  narrow  streets.  Silently  the 
column  passed  to  the  riverside,  and  on  across 
the  bridge  to  the  scene  of  the  morning's  inter- 
view. Semessi  led  the  prisoners  around  to  the 
-100- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

western  side  of  the  square  structure  which  stood 
behind  the  pavilion,  and  paused  before  a  door- 
way. 

A  thick  curtain  of  matting  hung  across  the 
opening,  through  which  came  a  few  faint  glim- 
merings of  light.  The  chief  listened  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  then  spoke  in  the  native  tongue.  A 
voice  within  made  answer,  whereupon  the  old 
man  lifted  the  portiere  and  said  to  his  com- 
rades : 

"Go  in." 

Crossing  the  threshold  the  Americans  found 
themselves  in  a  large  room  whose  wooden  floor- 
ing was  hidden  by  thick  mats.  A  rough  table 
stood  near  the  center,  and  upon  it  there  was  a 
candlestick  made  of  shell  in  which  a  small  taper 
was  burning.  Its  flickering  rays  revealed  a 
number  of  rude  stools  and  couches  scattered 
about  the  apartment. 

Beside  this  table  the  queen  was  standing,  her 
radiant  hair  thrown  back  from  her  face,  which 
was  faintly  flushed  with  excitement,  while  her 
bosom  rose  and  fell  tumultuously.  As  her 

-101- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

guests  entered  she  stepped  forward  impulsively, 
saying  in  a  voice  which  trembled  with  emotion : 

*  *  Once  more  I  bid  you  welcome,  and  this  time 
as  friends,  and  those  of  my  own  race.  Indeed, 
you  can  not  realize  what  a  joy  it  is  to  see  a  white 
face  again  after  all  these  years. ' ' 

Then,  before  the  Doctor  or  his  companions 
could  reply,  she  went  on  : 

"  Please  take  seats— there  are  some  stools 
right  here  by  the  table.  That  is  right.  Now 
we  can  talk,  for,  oh,  there  are  so  many  things  I 
want  to  ask  you." 

"And  we  shall  be  most  happy  to  answer  all 
your  questions,"  the  physician  returned. 
"Though  we  have  scarcely  recovered  as  yet 
from  our  surprise  at  finding  a  person  of  Anglo- 
Saxon  blood  here  ampng  these  wild  men  of  New 
Guinea. ' ' 

"I  do  not  wonder,"  the  maiden  said  quickly. 
"And  so,  before  I  hear  you  tell  your  story,  I 
will  relate  my  own  to  you. ' '  She  paused  an  in- 
stant as  though  considering.  Then  she  resumed : 

"It  is  more  than  nine  years  since  I  first  came 

-102- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

into  this  valley,  and  in  all  that  time  I  have  seen 
but  one  white  face  beside  your  own.  But  I  will 
begin  at  the  very  beginning.  My  name  is  Mil- 
dred Raynor,  and  I  was  born  in  Connecticut. 
My  father  was  a  wealthy  manufacturer  of 
Bridgeport,  and  I  was  his  only  child. 

"When  I  was  about  seven  years  of  age  my 
mother  died.  For  a  time  my  father  was  en- 
tirely prostrated  by  the  blow,  but  at  length  he 
rallied.  He  was  never  quite  the  same  man, 
however,  and  could  not  settle  down  to  his  busi- 
ness again.  So  he  disposed  of  his  mill  interests, 
and  started  on  a  cruise  in  his  yacht.  Most  men 
would  have  left  a  small  daughter  in  some  board- 
ing school,  but  father  would  not  be  separated 
from  me,  and  nurse  and  I  accompanied  him  on 
his  trip. 

'  *  For  nearly  a  year  he  sailed  aimlessly  about 
the  seas,  never  stopping  for  any  length  of  time 
at  one  place,  but  always  flitting,  now  here,  now 
there.  At  last  he  reached  Australia,  and  from 
there  he  came  northward  to  New  Guinea.  He 
visited  several  of  the  Mission  Stations  estab 

-103- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

lished  along  the  south  coast,  and  finally  arrived 
at  Port  Moresby,  the  seat  of  government  of  the 
British  portion  of  the  island. 

''While  there  Maggie— my  nurse,  who  was  a 
young  English  girl— met  Semessi.  He  had  been 
taken  prisoner  by  a  tribe  to  the  south  of  this 
valley,  during  a  raid  by  his  forces  several  years 
earlier,  and  had  escaped  from  them  to  the  coast. 
There  he  had  remained,  learning  our  language. 
Maggie  became  enamoured  with  the  chief,  who 
returned  the  affection,  and  she  consented  to  ac- 
company him  back  to  his  native  place. 

"But  nurse  was  greatly  attached  to  me,  and 
could  not  bear  the  thought  of  parting  with  me. 
To  overcome  this  objection  Semessi  suggested 
that  I  be  taken  with  them.  For  some  time 
Maggie  resisted  the  temptation.  At  length  she 
yielded,  and  they  fled  by  night.  Of  the  perils 
they  encountered  on  their  journey  across  the 
island  I  can  not  now  tell,  though  nurse  has  re- 
counted them  to  me  many  times. 

"They  finally  succeeded  in  reaching  the  val- 
ley, to  find  it  plunged  deep  in  a  civil  strife.  Two 

-104- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

chiefs  were  contending  for  the  rule  of  the  tribe. 
Semessi  was  also  of  chiefly  rank,  and  desired  to 
take  his  part  in  the  contest.  But  Maggie  sug- 
gested a  truce,  and  that  I  be  made  the  ruler, 
with  Semessi  and  the  rival  chieftains  as  my 
guardians. 

"The  proposition  met  with  instant  approba- 
tion. Already  the  natives  had  called  me  the 
'Golden  Lily'  because  of  a  fancied  resemblance 
to  the  flower  which  grows  so  profusely  through- 
out the  valley  and  nowhere  else  on  the  island. 
They  all  agreed  that  it  was  most  fitting  for  me, 
the  Golden  Lily,  to  rule  over  the  land  of  the 
golden  lily.  And  so  I  was  made  queen. 

"For  a  time  I  was  merely  a  figurehead,  and 
the  ruling  power  was  in  the  hands  of  the  three 
chiefs.  After  a  few  years,  however,  one  of 
them  died.  Then  Maggie  began  to  put  me  for- 
ward, insisting  upon,  my  presence  at  all  the 
tribal  meetings.  I  well  remember  how,  the  first 
time  I  appeared,  I  was  frightened,  and  hid  be- 
hind Semessi.  That  pleased  the  natives  great- 

-105— 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

ly,  and  I  always  had  a  part  in  their  delibera- 
tions thereafter. 

"As  I  grew  older  I  tried  to  use  my  influence 
in  behalf  of  peace  and  order,  and  with  some 
little  success.  So  the  years  went  by.  Then, 
only  a  year  ago,  Maggie  died.  Long  before  that 
she  had  come  to  realize  how  she  had  wronged 
both  father  and  myself,  and  was  striving  to 
atone  for  it.  Over  and  over  she  told  me  the 
story  until  sure  that  I  had  all  the  details  cor- 
rectly. Upon  her  dying  bed  she  urged  me  to 
take  the  first  opportunity,  flee  to  the  coast,  and 
return  to  my  own  land. 

1 '  Meantime  the  second  chief  had  died  and  his 
son,  Ketabu,  whom  you  saw  with  Semessi  on 
the  platform  this  morning,  succeeded  him.  So 
long  as  Maggie  lived  my  position  was  safe  and 
pleasant  enough.  But  no  sooner  was  she  gone 
than  Ketabu  began  to  annoy  me  with  his  atten- 
tions. Whether  he  really  cares  for  me,  or 
wishes  to  marry  me  simply  as  a  means  of  ob- 
taining supreme  control,  I  can  not  say.  In  spite 
of  my  aversion  for  him  he  has  persisted. 

-106- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

Semessi  is  good  and  kind,  but  he  can  not  take 
Maggie's  place,  nor  does  he  see  any  objection 
to  my  union  with  one  of  his  own  race.  And 
why  should  he?  But  I  had  rather  die  than  be- 
come the  wife  of  Ketabu. 

"Now  that  you  have  come,  however,  I  know 
that  I  am  safe.  For  you  will  protect  me  from 
the  attentions  of  the  young  chief,  and  in  time  we 
can  make  our  escape  to  the  coast,  I  am  sure.  You 
will  give  me  your  assistance,  will  you  not  ? ' ' 

"We  most  certainly  will  do  all  in  our  power 
to  aid  you,  Miss  Raynor,"  the  physician  re- 
turned heartily.  ' '  But  I  fear  you  overestimate 
our  ability.  You  must  remember  that  we  are 
prisoners  in  a  strange  land. ' ' 

"You  forget,"  she  interposed,  "that  we  can 
count  on  Semessi  for  help.  And  please  do  not 
call  me  Miss  Raynor;  I  would  much  rather  be 
Mildred  to  you  all. ' ' 

"Very  well,"  the  gentleman  said  smilingly. 
"We  will  respect  your  wishes.  Now  that  you 
have  satisfied  our  curiosity,  let  us  tell  you  about 
ourselves,"  and  he  gave  a  graphic  account  of 

-107- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

the  adventures  through  which  the  trio  had 
passed.  At  its  close  he  inquired : 

"Can  you  tell  us  how  it  happens  that  your 
warriors  made  the  long  journey  to  the  coast  sim- 
ply to  ravage  the  small  villages  there  f  It 
seems  very  inexplicable  to  us. ' ' 

"It  is  not  so  strange  as  you  may  think,"  Mil- 
dred answered.  ' '  You  see,  long  years  ago  this 
tribe  lived  down  about  the  bay  where  you  came 
ashore.  They  were  prosperous  and  powerful, 
but  a  pestilence  swept  through  their  villages, 
and  sadly  reduced  their  numbers. 

"A  neighboring  and  rival  tribe,  which  had 
long  envied  the  continued  prosperity  of  my  peo- 
ple—for it  seems  natural  for  me  to  speak  of 
them  so— took  advantage  of  this  misfortune,  and 
drove  them  inland.  They  finally  reached  this 
valley,  a  worn  and  tattered  remnant,  and  the 
foe  retired  to  settle  on  the  ground  they  had  won. 

"Years  passed  on,  and  our  clan  prospered 
once  more  until  they  were  more  powerful  than 
in  the  old  days.  The  wound  still  rankled,  how- 
ever, and  it  has  been  our  custom  to  send  a  picked 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

band  of  warriors  to  the  coast  once  every  two 
years,  to  plunder  and  ravage  our  ancient  enemy. 
It  is  a  tradition  which  I  have  been  unable  to 
alter. 

"So  successful  has  this  policy  proved  that  the 
village  in  which  you  were  held  and  one  other 
are  all  that  remain  of  the  tribe,  and  these  two 
settlements  are  fast  dying  out.  Our  people, 
however,  have  become  attached  to  this  valley, 
where  they  are  safe  from  all  attack,  and  so  have 
no  thoughts  of  returning  to  the  coast. ' ' 

"How  did  you  enter  the  valley?"  inquired 
Harrie  suddenly. 

"By  the  path  behind  the  falls,"  the  young 
girl  answered. 

"Is  there  no  other  way  of  entrance!"  asked 
the  lad. 

"None,"  was  her  reply. 

"How  does  the  river  leave  the  plain?"  con- 
tinued her  questioner. 

"In  the  same  way  that  it  enters,"  Mildred  re- 
turned ;  "  it  leaps  down  a  cliff. ' ' 

"But  did  you  cross  the  narrow  bridge  of 

-109- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

stone  where  Leigh  came  so  near  falling!"  Dr. 
Thornton  now  queried. 

"No,"  was  the  answer.  "Do  you  remember 
the  lower  plateau,  where  you  stopped  to  attend 
your  patient  after  his  fainting  fit?" 

"Yes,"  the  physician  assented. 

"Well,"  the  queen  went  on,  "there  is  a  sec- 
ond pathway  leading  down  from  that  plain  to 
the  southern  side  of  this  range.  It  is  held  by  a 
picked  garrison  at  its  lower  end,  as  is  the  one  by 
which  you  came.  Maggie  and  I  entered  the  val- 
ley by  that  route. ' ' 

"If  we  leave  the  valley,  how  are  we  to  pass 
these  guards  ? ' '  Leigh  questioned. 

"I  think  Semessi  would  go  with  us  as  far  as 
that,"  Mildred  replied. 

"But  do  you  realize  the  difficulties  and  dan- 
gers which  must  be  endured  before  we  can  reach 
the  coast?"  inquired  Dr.  Thornton. 

"I  think  so,"  was  the  answer.  "But  anything 
will  be  better  than  to  remain  here  where  Ketabu 
can  force  his  attentions  upon  me, ' '  and  the  girl 
shuddered. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

1  'Will  not  the  young  chief  prevent  our  de- 
parture!" was  the  physician's  next  remark. 

"I  hadn't  thought  of  that,"  the  young  queen 
said  in  a  startled  tone.  "No  doubt  he  would 
try  to  do  so  if  he  knew  of  our  intentions. ' ' 

"Has  he  great  influence  among  the  people?" 
continued  the  gentleman.  "Or  is  Semessi  the 
leading  chief?" 

Mildred  thought  for  a  moment.  "I  believe 
that  Ketabu  is  the  most  popular  of  late,"  she 
responded  at  last.  "I  had  not  thought  of  this 
before,  but  now  that  you  have  mentioned  it,  I 
can  see  that  Semessi  has  been  losing  ground 
since  Maggie  died.  Formerly  he  was  almost 
supreme,  and  his  word  was  all-powerful  with 
the  tribe.  Now,  however,  the  younger  man 
holds  an  equal  place  with  him,  and  I  am  not  sure 
but  a  more  influential  one." 

"Then  I  fear  that  Semessi 's  aid  will  not  be 
sufficient  to  effect  our  escape,"  was  the  signifi- 
cant rejoinder.  "You  see,  it  is  going  to  be  a 
serious  matter." 

-111- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

The  girl's  face  fell,  and  her  lip  trembled  a 
trifle  as  she  said : 

"I  see.  It  all  seemed  so  simple  before,  that 
I  thought  we  had  only  to  leave  when  we  wished, 
since  you  were  here.  But  you  have  opened  my 
eyes. ' ' 

" Understand  me,"  Dr.  Thornton  hastened  to 
remark.  "I  do  not  say  this  to  discourage  you, 
Mildred,  but  simply  to  help  you  to  realize  the 
seriousness  of  our  situation.  I  believe  we  can 
escape  to  the  coast  in  time,  if  we  plan  with  care 
beforehand.  We  must  not  act  too  quickly,  how- 
ever, and  plunge  ourselves  into  unnecessary 
difficulties.  You  may  rest  assured  that  the  lads 
and  myself  will  use  every  means  in  our  power 
to  bring  about  your  early  release.  We  simply 
require  time  to  weigh  the  matter  in  all  its 
aspects. ' ' 

"I  thank  you,"  was  the  simple  response. 

"May  I  ask  you  a  question?"  Harrie  now  in- 
quired. 

"Certainly,"  Mildred  returned. 

"How  is  it -that  you  speak  English  so  well, 

-112- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

after  being  here  among  these  savages  ever  since 
you  were  a  small  child  I  I  should  think  you 
would  have  forgotten  all  about  it,"  said  the 
youth. 

"Maggie  always  talked  with  me  in  our  own 
language, ' '  the  queen  replied.  * '  She  was  a  well 
educated  woman  for  one  in  her  station,  and  she 
taught  me  all  she  knew.  Then,  too,  I  had  this, ' ' 
and  she  picked  up  a  well-worn  book  which  lay 
on  the  stand  beside  her,  turning  it  so  that  the 
trio  could  see  that  it  was  a  Bible.  Then  she 
went  on  reverently:  "It  has  been  my  library 
ever  since  we  came  here,  and  my  greatest  com- 
fort since  nurse  died.  I  do  not  know  how  I 
could  have  lived  without  it,"  and  her  voice 
trembled  a  trifle. 

A  silence  fell  on  the  little  group.  It  was 
broken  by  Semessi,  who  lifted  the  curtain  at  the 
door  and  called  out  softly: 

"Come.     Must  go  now." 

Dr.  Thornton  glanced  at  his  watch.  "It  is 
after  twelve,"  he  exclaimed  in  surprise.  "We 
must  go,  lads." 

-113- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

Promising  to  plan  for  an  immediate  depart- 
ure, the  trio  took  leave  of  the  queen  and  fol- 
lowed Semessi  out  across  the  enclosure  to  the 
gateway.  The  fog  still  hung  low  over  the  town, 
and  the  party  reached  the  hut  without  meeting 
anyone.  As  the  Americans  were  about  to  enter 
the  doorway,  Harrie  stumbled  over  a  dark  body 
crouching  near  the  entrance.  As  he  picked 
himself  up  the  lad  heard  a  mocking  laugh,  and 
saw  dimly  through  the  gloom  the  misshapen 
form  of  the  dwarf  as  he  darted  away. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

AN  UNFORTUNATE  ENCOUNTER. 

*  *  HANIWANA  ! ' '  exclaimed  Semessi  as  the  hunch- 
back disappeared  in  the  fog.  "Me  come  back 
quick,"  he  continued  as  he  glided  away  after 
the  fleeing  dwarf. 

The  Americans  entered  their  humble  lodgings 
in  some  anxiety.  The  presence  of  the  spy 
seemed  to  indicate  that  Ketabu  was  keeping  a 
close  watch  over  their  movements.  But  why 
should  he  do  that?  They  had  done  nothing  to 
injure  him  in  any  way.  Did  he  surmise  the 
queen's  plan,  and  was  he  guarding  against  its 
performance?  Was  he  so  bent  on  securing  the 
supreme  power  in  the  tribe  that  he  intended  to 
remove  all  real  or  fancied  obstacles  from  his 
path?  Or  was  he  simply  jealous  of  the  warm 

-115-- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

welcome  given  the  new-comers  by  Mildred,  and 
therefore  desirous  of  venting  his  ill-will  upon 
them!  Such  were  the  thoughts  which  surged 
quickly  through  the  minds  of  the  trio  as  they 
groped  their  way  across  the  room  to  the  pile 
of  mats  in  the  farther  corner.  As  they  threw 
themselves  down  upon  this  hard  couch  Harrie 
said: 

"I  know  considerably  more  now  than  I  did 
this  morning— or  rather,  yesterday,  since  it's 
long  after  midnight— but  I  can't  say  that  the 
knowledge  I  Ve  gained  makes  me  feel  any  more 
satisfied  with  our  situation." 

"I  agree  with  you,"  his  father  returned. 
"We  have  had  all  those  seeming  mysteries, 
which  so  perplexed  us,  explained,  but  in  return 
we 'have  a  greatly  increased  responsibility." 

* '  To  think  that  the  Golden  Lily  should  prove 
to  be  from  our  own  land ! ' '  put  in  Leigh.  ' '  It  is 
wonderful!  How  her  poor  father  must  have 
suffered,  though!" 

"Leigh  still  seems  to  have  no  thought  for 
anything  except  the  queen,"  Harrie  remarked. 

-116- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

" Don't  lose  your  head,  old  chap,  or  we  shall 
have  you  challenging  Ketabu  to  mortal  com- 
bat." 

At  this  moment  a  footstep  was  heard  outside, 
and  presently  Semessi  entered.  He  approached 
the  trio,  saying  in  a  low  tone : 

"Haniwana,  him  get  away.  Me  not  find. 
Ketabu  send  him.  Ketabu  bad  man.  We  must 
watch  him." 

"Do  you  think  there  is  any  danger?"  the 
Doctor  questioned.  "Will  the  young  chief  at- 
tack us,  do  you  think?" 

* l  Not  soon.  By  and  by,  maybe.  Me  send  man 
watch  all  time." 

"That's  all  right,  Semessi.  We  will  see  that 
Ketabu  doesn't  do  us  any  harm,"  Harrie  in- 
terposed. "You  just  keep  your  eye  out  that  he 
don't  hurt  the  Golden  Lily." 

"Yes.  Me  go  now.  Good-by,"  and  the  old 
chief  left  them. 

"Who's  thinking  about  the  queen  now?"  re- 
marked Leigh.  "I  guess  I'm  not  the  only  one. 
But  I  move  we  leave  this  matter  until  morning 

-117- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

before  we  consider  it  further,"  he  went  on  with 
a  yawn.  "I'm  rather  sleepy  myself." 

"Very  well,"  assented  his  companions,  and 
within  ten  minutes  all  three  were  sleeping 
soundly,  in  spite  of  the  exciting  incidents  of 
the  evening. 

The  next  day,  however,  the  physician  again 
brought  up  the  subject,  saying  to  his  comrades : 

"As  I  said  last  night  we  have  had  a  great 
responsibility  thrust  upon  us  by  Mildred's  re- 
quest. Of  course  we  must  do  all  we  can  to  bring 
about  her  release,  as  well  as  our  own,  and  I  am 
more  than  willing  to  do  so.  But  it  complicates 
the  affair  decidedly  to  have  her  desire  to  go 
with  us.  It  would  be  hard  enough  for  us  to 
make  our  escape  under  the  most  favorable  cir- 
cumstances. Add  to  this  the  presence  of  a 
young  girl  in  our  party,  and  a  probable  watch 
on  all  our  doings,  and  you  have  a  problem  cal- 
culated to  stagger  one  from  the  very  begin- 
ning. ' ' 

' '  Do  you  believe  Ketabu  would  try  to  prevent 
our  departure?"  Leigh  questioned. 

-118- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"If  Mildred  were  with  us,  yes,"  the  Doctor 
answered.  "I  can  not  say  how  he  would  act 
in  case  we  were  to  make  the  trial  alone." 

"Do  you  think  that  Semessi  can  be  of  much 
help  to  us  in  our  planning!"  Harrie  asked. 

"I'm  afraid  not,  if,  as  the  queen  says,  the 
younger  man  has  the  greater  influence.  Still, 
it  is  certainly  better  to  have  him  on  our  side 
than  against  us." 

' '  How  would  you  act  after  reaching  the  plain 
at  the  foot  of  the  mountains!"  inquired  Leigh. 

"Ah,  that  brings  up  another  difficult  prob- 
lem," Dr.  Thornton  answered.  "Grant  that 
we  are  successful  in  our  attempt  to  leave  the 
valley,  what  are  we  to  do  then!  We  must  be 
a  hundred  miles  or  more  from  the  north  shore, 
while  the  coast  to  the  south  is  probably  three 
times  that  distance  away.  How  can  Mildred 
ever  endure  the  long  and  perilous  journey  to 
the  sea  f  We  shall  have  to  depend  on  what  food 
we  can  secure  along  the  way,  too,  which  makes 
the  task  all  the  greater," 

"It  is  a  rather  hopeless  outlook,  isn't  it!" 

-119- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

said  his  son.  "But  I  believe  we  are  going  to 
find  some  way  out  of  our  difficulty  yet.  It  may 
take  time,  though,  and  plenty  of  hard  knocks." 

There  the  discussion  ceased  for  the  time.  It 
was  taken  up  again  and  again,  however,  in  the 
days  which  followed.  For  two  weeks  the 
Americans  racked  their  brains  in  search  of 
some  practical  suggestion  which  they  could  of- 
fer to  the  young  queen,  but  without  success. 
Several  interviews  were  held  with  her,  on  each 
of  which  Mildred  showed  wonderful  courage 
and  cheerfulness  in  spite  of  the  discouraging 
outlook. 

"I  feel  so  much  safer  with  you  here  that  I 
can  wait  some  time  without  losing  patience," 
she  said  on  one  occasion  in  explanation  of  her 
cheery  spirit. 

Meanwhile  the  trio  were  allowed  to  come  and 
go  freely  during  the  day.  They  felt  positive 
that  Ketabu  was  keeping  a  continual  oversight 
of  their  movements,  however ;  an  opinion  which 
Semessi  also  held,  and  which  caused  him  to  sta- 
tion a  guard  of  three  men  at  the  hut  every 
-120- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

night,  though  the  Doctor  protested  against  it. 
But  while  the  young  chief  made  no  hostile  move, 
and  all  seemed  quiet,  the  Americans  still  felt 
that  their  situation  was,  after  all,  a  critical  one. 

The  bulk  of  the  natives  appeared  to  be  most 
friendly,  and  greeted  them  with  smiles  and 
pleasant  words  whenever  they  passed  through 
the  narrow  streets.  Harrie  and  Leigh  made 
good  use  of  the  opportunities  this  afforded  for 
acquiring  a  knowledge  of  the  language,  and 
made  reasonably  rapid  progress  in  its  use. 

The  lads  never  tired  of  wandering  about  the 
town,  watching  the  women  at  their  work  (for 
the  men  seldom  devoted  themselves  to  labor), 
and  the  children  as  they  laughed  and  shouted 
in  their  mimic  battles.  Harrie  said  that  the 
females  looked  like  walking  hay  stacks,  for 
they  wore  three  or  four  petticoats  of  woven 
grass,  of  different  sizes,  one  over  the  other,  the 
undermost  being  the  longest,  while  that  on  the 
outside  was  quite  short.  The  garments  cer- 
tainly did  give  their  wearers  a  bulky  and  un- 
gainly appearance,  but  the  women  did  not 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

seem  in  the  least  inconvenienced  by  the  multi- 
tude of  skirts,  and  after  all  the  style  had  as 
much  to  commend  it  as  some  of  those  among 
more  civilized  nations. 

The  youths  were  especially  interested  in 
watching  the  manufacture  of  pottery.  All  the 
earthen-ware  vessels  used  in  the  valley  were 
made  by  the  old  women,  who  sat  all  day  long 
on  the  ground  before  their  huts,  pounding  the 
lumps  of  clay  into  a  powder  with  large  stones, 
mixing  this  with  water  into  a  thick  paste,  and 
molding  the  dishes  by  hand. 

It  seemed  to  be  a  very  simple  operation,  and 
Leigh  persuaded  one  old  crone  to  permit  him 
to  try  his  hand  at  the  work.  The  resulting  bowl, 
for  so  Leigh  labelled  it,  was  of  such  an  indefi- 
nite shape  that  it  might  have  been  almost  any- 
thing else  he  chose  to  call  it.  Harrie  laughed 
heartily  at  his  companion,  while  the  crowd  of 
natives  which  had  gathered  around  were 
equally  delighted. 

It  was  near  the  middle  of  the  third  week  of 
the  Americans'  sojourn  in  the  valley  that  an 

-122- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

incident  occurred  which  showed  conclusively 
the  attitude  of  Ketabu  towards  them,  and  also 
brought  on  the  crisis  which  they  had  all  along 
been  expecting. 

The  youths  had  been  spending  the  afternoon 
as  usual  in  wandering  about  the  streets,  keep- 
ing both  eyes  and  ears  open  to  take  in  all  that 
was  to  be  seen  or  heard.  It  was  already  near- 
ing  sundqwn.  They  were  at  the  opposite  end  of 
the  town  from  their  own  quarters,  and  Harrie 
had  just  suggested  that  they  ought  to  be  re- 
turning. 

At  that  moment  Leigh  exclaimed: 
' '  Look  there,  Hal !  What  do  you  call  that  ? ' ' 
and  he  indicated  a  small  bag  made  of  netting 
which  was  suspended  from  a  tree  nearby.  His 
comrade  looked  more  closely,  to  see  that  within 
the  swinging  hammock  was  a  sleeping  child  of 
two  or  three  years.  The  infant  was  curled  up 
like  a  dog,  head  to  feet,  and  seemed  to  be  slum- 
bering soundly  in  spite  o'f  its  awkward  position. 
The  breeze  imparted  a  gentle1  motion  to  this 

-123- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE, 

rude  cradle,  thus  saving  the  parent,  who  was 
squatted  near  at  hand,  all  effort. 

"Did  you  ever  see  anything  like  that?" 
Harrie  ejaculated,  as  he  and  his  friend  went 
closer  for  a  better  view.  "I  should  think  the 
poor  child's  back  would  be  broken!" 

"Oh,  he's  used  to  it  I  presume,"  Leigh  re- 
turned. "But  it's  not  such  treatment  as  an 
American  baby  would  thrive  under." 

"Come  on,"  the  other  said,  turning  away. 
"We  must  hurry  if  we  are  to  get  back  to  the 
hut  before  dark." 

They  quickened  their  steps  as  he  spoke,  and 
hastened  on  up  the  street.  They  had  gone  but 
a  short  distance,  however,  before  a  man  came 
hurriedly  out  from  behind  a  hut  just  as  they 
were  passing.  So  unexpectedly  did  he  appear 
that  the  lads  were  unable  to  check  their  on- 
ward motion  in  time  to  prevent  a  collision,  and 
all  three  tumbled  in  a  heap  on  the  ground. 

As  the  youths  scrambled  to  their  feet  the  fe-1- 
low  grasped  Leigh  around  the  neck,  calling  out 
loudly  in  the  native  tongue  for  help.  By  this 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

time  Harrie,  had  recognized  their  assailant  as 
Haniwana,  and  it  flashed  quickly  upon  him  that 
the  affair  was  all  a  plot  to  bring  about  the  cap- 
ture of  himself  and  his  comrade. 

Leigh  was  not  long  in  freeing  himself  from 
the  dwarf's  embrace,  and  both  lads  started  off 
on  a  run,  for  the  hunchback's  cries  had  brought 
an  immediate  response,  and  a  dozen  men  came 
hastening  from  behind  the  nearby  dwellings 
to  his  aid.  All  this  the  boys  took  in  at  a  glance 
as  they  hurried  away. 

Side  by  side  they  ran,  while  close  behind  came 
the  pursuing  natives.  Such  persons  as  were  in 
the  street  at  the  time  looked  inquiringly  at  the 
runners,  but  made  no  attempt  to  hinder  the 
progress  of  the  lads,  a  fact  which  confirmed 
Harrie  in  his  belief  that  Ketabu  was  responsi- 
ble for  the  affair,  and  that  the  men  who  were 
chasing  Leigh  and  himself  were  some  of  the 
young  chief's  personal  retainers. 

They  had  covered  about  one-half  the  distance 
to  the  hut,  and  the  pursuers  had  gained  nothing, 
when  suddenly  the  boys  heard  a  shout  in  their 

-125- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

rear.  It  was  answered  by  an  equally  loud  cry 
in  front,  and  looking  ahead  they  saw  that  three 
or  four  men  were  coming  rapidly  down  upon 
them. 

Harrie  glanced  quickly  to  e'ither  side,  and 
then  darted  in  between  two  of  the  dwellings  on 
his  left,  calling  on  Leigh  to  follow.  Among  the 
huts  the  two  youths  ran,  across  the  first  street, 
and  on  to  the  second,  down  which  they  turned. 
There  was  now  but  one  row  of  buildings  be- 
tween them  and  the  river,  and  unless  they  could 
succeed  in  passing  beyond  their  pursuers  before 
the  latter  reached  the  stre.et  on  which  the  boys 
were  running,  all  means  of  escape  would  be  cut 
off. 

The  lads  put  forth  their  utmost  efforts,  and 
sped  along  at  a  headlong  pace.  But  just  as  they 
were  congratulating  themselves  that  they  were 
about  out  of  danger,  three  men  emerged  into 
the  road  before  them. 

Whirling  quickly  about,  the  youths  fled  back 
in  the  direction  from  which  they  had  come,  only 
to  find  that  a  number  of  the  natives  had  closed 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

in  on  that  side  also.  There  was  but  one  course 
open  to  them,  therefore,  and  this  they  adopted. 
Turning,  they  dashed  down  a  laneway  leading 
to  the  waterside.  As  they  came  out  at  the 
farther  end,  however,  they  found  themselves 
in  the  midst  of  a  group  which  had  evidently 
been  awaiting  their  coming,  for  they  quickly 
closed  in  about  the  lads,  catching  Leigh  by  the 
collar,  and  bringing  him  heavily  to  the  ground. 
Harrie  was  more  fortunate,  and  slipping 
from  the  grasp  of  the  man  who  had  seized  him, 
he  dodged  between  two  others  who  attempted 
to  stop  his  passage.  He  was  now  close  to  the 
bank  of  the  stream,  and,  without  hesitation  pre- 
pared to  leap.  The  next  instant  he  disappeared 
with  a  loud  splash  beneath  the  waters  of  the 
river. 


-127- 


CHAPTER  IX. 

A  FRUITLESS  SEARCH. 

WHEN  Harrie  took  his  headlong  plunge  into  the 
river  he  had  a  definite  purpose  in  mind.  He 
had  noticed,  as  he  broke  through  the  circle  of 
men,  that  the  bridge  which  connected  the  island 
and  the  main  shore  was  only  a  half  dozen  rods 
above  him,  and  that  fleeting  glimpse  suggested 
a  way  of  escape  to  his  ready  brain. 

So,  as  he  went  beneath  the  waters,  he  imme- 
diately struck  out  against  the  current,  and 
swam  below  the  surface,  until  his  breath  gave 
out.  Then  he  simply  rose  until  the  tip  of  his 
nose  was  above  the  level  of  the  stream,  and,  re- 
filling his  lungs  with  air,  sank  for  a  second 
time, 

.When  he  again  came  up  he  was  beneath  the 

-128- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

bridge,  where  he  found  just  space  enough  be- 
tween the  water  and  the  flooring  to  allow  his 
head  to  emerge  from  the  liquid.  Catching  hold 
of  one  of  the  long  beams  upon  which  the  plank- 
ing was  laid,  he  held  himself  motionless  and  lis- 
tened for  sounds  of  his  pursuers. 

Meanwhile  the  natives,  totally  unprepared 
for  such  a  move  on  the  lad's  part,  stood  staring 
in  amazement  at  the  spot  where  he  had  disap- 
peared. As  the  seconds  passed  and  his  form 
did  not  reappear,  they  glanced  down  the  stream, 
expecting  to  see  him  there.  But  not  a  trace 
could  they  discern.  They  did  not  once  think  of 
looking  up  the  river,  and  as  it  was  already  dusk, 
the  slight  ripple  caused  by  the  youth  when  he 
rose  to  breathe  entirely  escaped  their  attention. 
Therefore,  after  waiting  for  five  minutes  or 
more  they  became  convinced  that  the  boy  had 
gone  to  the  bottom,  and  turned  their  attention 
to  the  captive  they  had  secured. 

He  had  been  bound  hand  and  foot,  and  now 
lay  upon  the  ground  awaiting  their  pleasure. 
First  making  sure  that  his  wrists  were  securely 

-129- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

tied,  the  men  released  his  lower  limbs  and 
signed  for  him  to  rise.  Then,  placing  him  in 
the  center  of  the  squad,  they  hastened  away 
down  the  street. 

During  this  interval  Harrie  had  remained 
perfectly  quiet  in  his  original  position.  Now, 
however,  not  being  able  to  hear  anything  of  his 
pursuers,  he  worked  his  way  along  until  he  was 
at  the  lower  edge  of  the  bridge  and  on  the  outer, 
or  island,  end.  This  gave  him  a  chance  to  ob- 
serve the  opposite  bank  of  the  river.  The  light 
had  waned  so  rapidly  that  he  was  able  to  dis- 
tinguish little,  but  he  saw  enough  to  convince 
him  that  the  enemy  had  gone 

Still,  he  did  not  dare  to  leave  his  hiding 
place,  and  remained  clinging  to  the  stringer  for 
nearly  three-quarters  of  an  hour  longer.  It 
was  then  quite  dark,  and  the  lad  was  chilled 
through  from  his  long  immersion,  so  he  decided 
to  run  the  risk  of  detection,  which  he  felt  sure 
would  be  small,  rather  than  to  delay  any  fur- 
ther. 

Letting  go  of  the  timber,  he  allowed  himself 

-130- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

to  float  with,  the  current  until  he  was  well  be- 
low the  town.  When  certain  that  he  was  so  far 
from  the  nearest  dwellings  that  all  danger  of 
discovery  was  past,  the  boy  swam  ashore  and 
clambered  out  upon  the  bank. 

Stopping  only  long  enough  to  wring  the 
water  from  his  dripping  garments,  IJarrie  cau- 
tiously began  his  advance.  The  gloom,  while  it 
made  his  chances  of  escape  much  better,  also 
rendered  his  progress  more  difficult  and  uncer- 
tain. Skirting  the  edge  of  the  village  at  a  con- 
siderable distance,  he  again  approached  it 
when  nearing  the  locality  of  their  own  hut. 

He  now  advanced  more  boldly,  and  was  push- 
ing forward  at  a  brisk  pace,  when  he  heard  the 
sound  of  voices  just  in  front.  Quickly  stepping 
behind  a  nearby  bush,  he  dropped  noiselessly  to 
the  ground,  listening  intently.  The  speakers 
came  nearer,  and  presently  went  by  within  ten 
feet  of  the  crouching  boy.  He  could  plainly 
distinguish  their  voices,  but  was  not  yet  suffi- 
ciently familiar  with  the  language  to  under- 
stand the  subject  of  their  remarks.  He  was 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

positive,  however,  that  one  of  the  men  was  the 
dwarf. 

When  they  had  passed  out  of  hearing  Harrie 
drew  a  long  breath  of  relief,  and  resumed  his 
interrupted  advance.  This  time  he  met  with  no 
one,  and  was  soon  back  at  the  hut.  Here  he 
found  his  father  greatly  alarmed  over  the  pro- 
tracted absence  of  Leigh  and  himself,  an  alarm 
which  was  hardly  lessened  by  his  own  recital. 

As  he  concluded  the  physician  exclaimed: 

1 1  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  this  is  a  move 
of  Ketabu  to  obtain  possession  of  you  two  lads. 
Had  it  succeeded  he  would  have  taken  the  first 
opportunity  of  getting  me  out  of  the  way.  But 
we  must  do  something  at  once  to  bring  about 
Leigh's  release.  We  must  find  Semessi." 

"I  can  send  one  of  the  sentinels  who  are  out- 
side for  him,"  the  lad  said.  "That  will  be  the 
quickest  way." 

"Do  so  immediately,"  Dr.  Thornton  com- 
manded. 

Harrie  hastened  to  obey.  Stepping  quickly 
to  the  door  he  called  one  of  the  guards  to  him 

-132- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

and  by  use  of  the  native  words  at  his  command, 
supplanted  by  vigorous  motions,  he  gave  the 
man  to  understand  that  they  wished  to  see  the 
chief  at  once.  The  fellow  nodded  and  started 
off  on  a  run. 

To  the  two  Americans,  who  spent  the  time  in 
walking  up  and  down  their  narrow  quarters, 
it  seemed  that  Semessi  would  never  come.    But 
it  was  in  reality  not  more  than  twenty  minutes 
before  the  native  hastily  entered  the  hut. 
"You  want  me?"  he  demanded.     "Why?" 
Harrie  explained  their  reasons  for  summon- 
ing him,  relating  in  detail  the  story  of  his  aft- 
ernoon adventure.    Then  he  asked: 

"Don't  you  believe  that  Ketabu  is  at  the  bot- 
tom of  this  scrape?  I  thought  likely  Haniwana 
was  acting  under  his  orders. ' ' 

"Yes,"  the  chief  assented,  briefly.  "Ketabu 
want  boy.  Him  do  it."  He  was  silent  for  a 
time  as  though  considering  Then  he  re- 
marked : 

"Come.  We  go  tell  Golden  Lily,"  and  he 
moved  towards  the  door. 

-133- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

The  Americans  followed  him,  and,  quickly 
traversing  the  streets,  they  arrived  at  the  royal 
dwelling  upon  the  island.  Semessi  entered 
without  stopping  to  knock,  and  they  found  Mil- 
dred sitting  by  the  table,  on  which  a  candle  was 
burning. 

She  started  up  in  alarm  at  their  unexpected 
entrance,  but  gave  a  smile  of  welcome  on  seeing 
who  her  visitors  were.  Before  she  could  ques- 
tion them  as  to  the  reason  for  their  coming, 
however,  the  chief  turned  to  Harrie  and  said 
abruptly : 

"You  tell  her." 

Thus  directed,  the  lad  recounted  the  incidents 
of  the  afternoon,  including  the  sending  for 
Semessi,  and  the  latter 's  action  upon  hearing 
the  story.  The  girl  listened  with  pale  cheeks 
and  dilated  eyes,  and  at  the  close  stood  for  a 
moment  without  speaking. 

Then  she  turned  to  the  native  and  addressed 
him  rapidly  in  his  own  tongue.  He  made  an- 
swer at  some  length,  whereupon  the  queen  again 
faced  the  two  Americans  and  said: 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"Semessi  agrees  with  you  that  Ketabu  is 
responsible  for  this  outrage,  but  does  not  think 
that  Leigh  is  in  any  danger  for  the  present. 
So  we  must  find  out  if  we  can  where  he  is  con- 
fined, and  rescue  him  at  once. ' ' 

"That  was  my  own  idea,"  the  physician  re- 
turned. "But  when  we  have  done  that,  will  it 
not  be  necessary  for  us  to  leave  the  valley  right 
away  ? ' ' 

"Perhaps  so,"  Mildred  answered,  thought- 
fully. 

"It  seems  to  me  that  if  we  are  to  get  away 
at  all,  it  will  be  imperative  for  us  to  go  imme- 
diately," Dr.  Thornton  continued.  "Ketabu 
is  evidently  planning  to  prevent  any  such  ar- 
rangement, and  since  his  first  effort  has  failed 
he  will  probably  make  some  other  move.  Our 
greatest  hope  of  success,  therefore,  is  to  go  be- 
fore he  is  expecting  any  action  on  our  part. 
Do  you  not  agree  with  me?" 

For  answer  the  young  queen  again  addressed 
the  chief,  and  this  time  their  conversation  con- 
tinued for  several  minutes.  When  it  was  over 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

she  turned  back  to  the  gentleman  and  responded 
to  his  question: 

"You  are  right,  and  this  must  be  a  part  of 
our  plan.  We  will  find  out  where  Leigh  is  and 
try  to  rescue  him.  If  you  succeed,  you  are  to 
return  here,  where  I  will  be  in  readiness  to 
start.  If  all  goes  well  we  can  be  beyond  the 
falls  before  morning,  and  then  there  will  be  lit- 
tle danger  of  Ketabu's  overtaking  us." 

"Very  good,"  assented  the  Doctor.  "But 
the  most  important  part  of  the  matter  rests 
right  here— how  are  we  to  find  out  the  location 
of  Leigh's  prison?" 

"That  is  the  most  difficult  question,"  ad- 
mitted Mildred,  "perhaps  Semessi  can  give  us 
some  suggestions,  however,"  and  she  appealed 
to  the  old  man. 

He  shook  his  head  doubtfully. 

"Me  not  know,"  he  rejoined.  "P'rhaps  he 
put  him  one  place,  p'rhaps  'nother.  Me  not 
tell." 

"I  don't  see  that  there's  very  much  we  can 
do,  then,"  Harrie  remarked,  speaking  for  the 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

first  time.  "Of  course  father  and  I  have  no 
idea  where  to  look. ' ' 

"Does  Ketabu  live  in  the  town?"  inquired 
the  gentleman. 

"Yes,"  the  girl  answered,  "but  he  would 
hardly  carry  your  friend  to  his  home." 

They  sat  for  several  moments  in  silence  after 
that,  all  busily  thinking  over  the  problem  be- 
fore them.  Their  reverie  was  broken  in  upon 
by  a  low  call  outside  the  door,  and  the  queen 
stepped  along  to  the  opening.  After  a  moment 
she  raised  the  curtain  and  a  bent  old  woman  en- 
tered, blinking  at  the  sudden  light. 

"Come  here,  Koloka,"  Mildred  said  encour- 
agingly, as  she  crossed  to  her  seat  by  the  table. 
"What  is  it  that  you  wish  to  tell  me?" 

The  poor  old  creature  glanced  uneasily  at 
the  three  men,  but  when  the  maid  nodded  reas- 
suringly she  ventured  to  speak  in  a  low  tone. 
Her  story  proved  to  be  of  some  length,  and  be- 
fore she  had  finished  it  was  evident  from  the 
excited  manner  of  the  queen  that  it  was  an  im- 
portant one  as  well.  When  Koloka  ceased  Mil- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

dred  turned  to  the  waiting  Americans,  saying 
eagerly : 

"It  is  all  right  now.  Koloka  has  told  me 
where  your  friend  is.  It  is  a  plot  of  Ketabu  to 
prevent  your  hindering  him  in  his  wish  to 
marry  me.  She  overheard  him  explaining  it 
to  the  dwarf,  early  in  the  afternoon,  but  could 
not  come  here  to  tell  me  about  it  then.  He  in- 
tended to  take  both  of  the  boys  captive,  and 
then  send  word  to  you  that  they  wished  for  you 
to  come  to  them.  Thus  he  would  capture  all 
three  of  you.  Then  he  was  to  send  you  down 
the  mountain  and  leave  you  at  the  edge  of  the 
plain  to  go  wherever  you  wished." 

"But  where  is  Leigh?"  Harrie  interrupted. 

"I  was  coming  to  that,"  the  girl  went  on. 
"After  they  caught  him,  they  took  him  out  to 
an  old  hut  there  is  about  a  mile  to  the  south- 
west of  the  town.  Semessi  knows  where  it  is. 
There  they  left  him  with  a  guard  of  two  men. 
Koloka  overheard  Haniwana  give  his  report  to 
Ketabu  after  he  returned.  So  all  you  have  to 
do  now  is  to  go  and  release  him." 

-138- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"Are  you  sure  the  old  woman  is  to  be 
trusted?"  queried  Dr.  Thornton  somewhat 
doubtfully. 

"Yes,  indeed,"  was  the  rejoinder.  "You  see 
she  used  to  help  Maggie  care  for  me  when  I  was 
small,  and  she  has  always  thought  a  great  deal 
of  me.  She  was  at  work  in  her  garden  plot  out- 
side the  town,  and  Ketabu  was  talking  with  the 
dwarf  on  the  edge  of  the  woods  only  a  few  rods 
off.  They  could  not  see  her  on  account  of  the 
intervening  plants.  Then  she  watched  for 
Haniwana,  and  when  he  came  back  she  crept 
up  outside  the  hut  until  she  was  near  enough 
to  hear  all  that  was  said.  I'm  sure  it  is  all  just 
as  Koloka  reports." 

"Then  the  sooner  we  start  the  better,"  the 
gentleman  exclaimed.  "It  is  now  ten  o'clock. 
If  Semessi  will  go  with  us,  I  think  we  can  eas- 
ily release  Leigh  and  return  here  by  midnight. 
That  will  give  us  time  to  reach  the  falls  before 
dawn.  How  soon  can  you  go  ? ' '  and  he  turned 
to  the  chief. 

"Me  ready  now,"  was  the  terse  response. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

Dr.  Thornton  and  his  son  rose  to  their  feet, 
but  before  they  could  cross  the  room  Mildred 
cried : 

"Wait  a  moment,  please,"  and  she  disap- 
peared through  a  door  in  the  rear  of  the  apart- 
ment. When  she  returned  she  held  in  either 
hand  a  native  war  club.  The  handles  were  of 
wood,  and  into  one  end  of  each  was  fitted  a 
round  blade  of  dark,  polished  stone,  keen-edged 
and  deadly. 

"Semessi  made  them  for  Maggie  and  me," 
she  explained.  "I  did  not  know  but  what  you 
would  need  them  before  you  got  back." 

The  Doctor  thanked  her,  and,  taking  the 
weapons,  handed  one  to  Harrie.  Semessi 
talked  with  the  queen  for  a  moment,  and  then 
the  trio  left  the  building. 

The  old  man  naturally  took  the  lead,  and  the 
others  followed  him  across  the  river,  through 
the  town,  and  down  a  narrow  pathway  between 
the  garden  plots  of  the  villagers.  For  nearly 
a  half  hour  the  advance  continued,  and  then  the 
chief  stopped  his  companions  by  a  word. 

-140- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"Wait,"  he  said,  and  vanished  in  the  dark- 
ness. He  was  gone  ten  minutes,  returning  as 
abruptly  as  he  went,  to  announce: 

"Men  there.  One  sleep;  other  'wake. 
Come." 

Cautiously  the  party  moved  on.  Presently 
the  dim  outline  of  the  hut  showed  against  the 
sky.  Inch  by  inch  the  trio  advanced,  keeping 
in  the  shadow  of  the  trees,  until  the  open  door- 
way became  visible,  in  which  a  man  was  stand- 
ing, spear  in  hand.  A  short  distance  to  one 
side  another  form  lay  outstretched  on  the 
ground. 

At  a  signal  from  Semessi,  they  rushed  for- 
ward, and  threw  themselves  upon  the  unsus- 
pecting sentinel.  He  struggled  for  an  instant, 
but  a  vigorous  blow  on  the  side  of  his  head 
brought  him  to  the  ground.  His  associate, 
aroused  by  the  noise  of  the  attack,  was  quickly 
overpowered  and  both  were  securely  bound. 

This  done  the  physician  and  Harrie  entered 
the  hut,  while  the  chief  stood  guard  over  the 
prisoners. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"Leigh  must  be  asleep,"  the  lad  said  as  they 
stepped  within  the  entrance.  "He  would  have 
heen  out  to  see  what  the  row  was  about,  if  he 
were  not.  Leigh!"  he  called,  raising  his  voice. 
"Leigh!" 

There  was  no  response,  and  Dr.  Thornton 
struck  a  match,  of  which  he  still  had  a  few.  As 
it  flared  up  they  saw  to  their  consternation  that 
the  hut  was  empty. 


CHAPTER  X. 

KETABU    MAKES   ANOTHER    MOVE. 

As  THE  tiny  flame  revealed  the  fact  that  Leigh 
was  not  in  the  hut,  both  Harrie  and  his  father 
gave  vent  to  their  chagrin  in  a  low-toned  ex- 
clamation. Then,  as  the  match  burned  out, 
they  turned  and  groped  their  way  outside, 
where  the  native  was  standing  in  silent  watch- 
fulness over  the  two  captives.  He  faced  about 
at  the  sound  of  their  steps,  and  the  lad  said  in 
an  excited  half -whisper : 

"He  isn't  there,  Semessi!  The  hut  is  empty. 
Where  do  you  suppose  they  have  taken  him?" 

' '  You  stay  here, ' '  was  the  reply,  as  the  chief 
disappeared  inside  the  building*  Some  minutes 
elapsed  and  then  the  Americans  heard  his  voice 
calling  for  them  to  come.  Entering,  they  found 

-143- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

him  on  his  knees  at  the  rear  of  the  structure, 
and  as  they  bent  beside  him,  he  pointed  out  the 
dim  outlines  of  a  rough  opening  in  the  leafy 
thatch  which  formed  the  wall. 

"Boy  make  hole.  Crawl  out.  Then  run 
away,"  was  the  brief  explanation. 

"True  enough,"  Dr.  Thornton  returned  with 
a  sigh  of  relief.  ' '  Then  Leigh  is  safe  after  all. 
That  lifts  a  great  load  of  anxiety  from  my 
mind.  We  must  return  at  once  to  our  quarters, 
and  apprise  him  of  our  intended  flight.  What 
shall  we  do  with  our  prisoners?" 

"Leave  here,"  Semessi  made  answer.  "They 
safe  here. ' ' 

' '  Very  well  then, ' '  said  the  physician.  *  *  Only 
be  sure  they  are  securely  tied.  We  don't  want 
them  to  get  away  and  inform  Ketabu  of  our 
plans. ' ' 

A  brief  inspection  of  the  two  sentinels  and 
their  bonds  proved  satisfactory,  and  the  Doc- 
tor remarked  briskly : 

"Now  if  you  will  kindly  guide  us  back  to  our 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

own  hut,  I  think  we  will  find  Leigh  awaiting  us 
there." 

"Yes,"  the  old  man  responded  as  he  led  the 
way  down  the  path.  Only  a  short  distance  had 
been  traversed,  however,  before  Semessi 
stopped,  whispering: 

"Man  coming.    Hear!" 

Sure  enough,  the  tread  of  feet  was  distinctly 
audible,  evidently  approaching  from  the  direc- 
tion of  the  town. 

"New  guard  coming,"  the  native  remarked 
in  a  low  voice.  '  *  We  must  catch. ' ' 

His  companions  assented,  and  all  three 
stepped  back  into  the  shadow  of  the  trees.  Al- 
ready the  newcomers  were  close  at  hand^  and 
in  another  moment  they  were  abreast  the  hid- 
den trio.  Then,  at  a  word  from  Semessi,  they 
fell  upon  the  unsuspecting  couple— for  there 
were  but  two.  So  unprepared  were  the  vic- 
tims for  any  such  assault  that  they  made  but  a 
feeble  resistance,  and  were  soon  overpowered. 

While  the  Americans  held  the  prisoners,  the 
chief  stuffed  gags  of  leaves  into  their  mouths, 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

and  secured  hands  and  feet  with  pieces  of  vine. 
Then  they  were  laid  well  to  one  side  of  the  path, 
and  the  victors  continued  their  interrupted 
walk.  No  further  word  was  spoken  until  they 
were  on  the  outskirts  of  the  village.  There  the 
native  halted  and  said: 

'  "You  go  hut,  get  boy,  come  Golden  Lily.  Me 
go  there  now." 

"All  right,"  Harrie  rejoined.  "We'll  be 
along  shortly." 

Thereupon  their  guide  left  them,  and  the  two 
Americans  went  on  alone.  Ten  minutes  more 
brought  them  to  the  hut  which  had  served  as 
their  lodgings  since  their  arrival  in  the  valley. 
There,  to  their  great  relief  and  satisfaction, 
they  found  Leigh  awaiting  them. 

"So  you  escaped  from  the  clutches  of  the 
dwarf  without  our  aid!"  was  the  physician's 
greeting. 

"Yes.  Did  you  go  to  release  me?"  Leigh 
queried  in  return.  "How  did  you  know  where 
to  look  for  me!" 

"Through  Mildred,"  Harrie  explained,  and 

-146- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

he  gave  an  account  of  the  events  which  had, 
taken  place  since  his  friend's  capture. 

"You  were  more  fortunate  than  I  was,"  the 
other  said.  "Those  fellows  there  tripped  me 
up  as  nice  as  you  please,  and  before  I  had  any 
chance  to  get  on  my  feet  again  three  or  four  of 
them  were  on  top  of  me.  My !  but  didn  't  they 
knock  the  breath  out  of  me,  though!  I  tried 
my  best  to  throw  them  off,  but  it  was  no  use, 
they  were  too  many  for  me,  and  tied  my  hands 
and  feet. 

"Then  they  turned  their  attention  to  looking 
for  you,  but  as  you  didn't  come  to  the  top  of 
the  water  so  far  as  they  could  see,  they  con- 
cluded that  you  must  have  drowned,  so  they 
unfastened  my  feet,  and  made  me  go  with 
them.  They  took  me  by  a  round  about  road,  so 
that  I  had  completely  lost  all  sense  of  direction 
before  we  came  to  a  halt.  Then  I  found  we 
were  in  a  small  clearing  in  front  of  a  tumble- 
down hut.  Into  this  they  hustled  me,  and 
all  went  away  except  the  dwarf,  who  staid  for 
fifteen  minutes  or  more,  taunting  me  in  all  sorts 

-147- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

of.  ways.  He  made  me  pretty  angry,  but  I 
wouldn't  let  him  have  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
it,  so  at  last  he  went  out,  and  two  men  came  to 
the  door,  where  they  stood  on  guard. 

"I  worked  at  my  bonds  as  well  as  I  could  in 
the  dark,  until  I  got  them  loose  enough  to  slip 
my  hands  out,  for  they  were  tied  very  loosely. 
Then  I  got  my  knife  and  cut  away  the  thatch 
between  two  of  the  uprights.  Of  course  I  made 
a  little  noise,  but  fortunately  the  two  sentinels 
were  thick-headed  chaps,  and  so  long  as  I  kept 
away  from  the  doorway  they  paid  no  attention 
to  me  at  all. 

"After  a  couple  of  hours  of  hard  work  I 
made  an  opening  large  enough  for  me  to  crawl 
through,  and  was  free.  Once  outside,  I  skulked 
along  at  the  edge  of  the  clearing  until  I  reached 
the  pathway. 

"I  didn't  know  where  it  would  lead,  but  I 
followed  it  down  to  the  river,  and  from  there 
I  easily  found  my  way  here.  I  was  a  trifle  sur- 
prised not  to  find  you,  fearing  that  Ketabu  had 
you  both.  But  I  soon  concluded  that  you  were 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

out  looking  for  me,  and  that  if  I  remained  right 
here  it  would  straighten  matters  out  before 
long.  I  had  not  been  waiting  more  than  half 
an  hour  when  you  came." 

"We  are  fortunate  indeed  to  have  come  out 
of  the  adventure  so  well,"  Dr.  Thornton  com- 
mented gravely.  "But  we  cannot  remain  here. 
It  must  be  midnight,  and  Mildred  will  be  wait- 
ing for  us.  We  are  to  leave  the  valley  to- 
night," he  explained,  turning  to  Leigh.  "We 
feel  that  it  is  unsafe  for  us  to  delay  our  flight 
longer,  for  fear  Ketabu  will  make  it  impossible 
for  us  to  go.  His  move  to-night  shows  that  he 
has  become  actively  engaged  against  us,  and 
every  moment  increases  our. danger.  Semessi 
is  to  go  with  us  as  far  as  the  village  at  the 
lower  end  of  the  pass." 

As  he  spoke  the  trio  passed  outside,  and  set 
off  towards  the  river.  Not  one  of  them  saw  the 
dark  form  which  crouched  at  one  side  of  the 
door,  and  which  now  sped  away  through  the 
gloom  like  some  misshapen  spirit  of  the  night. 

Utterly  unconscious  of  the  fact  that  Hani- 


THROUGH,  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

wana  had  overheard  their  conversation,  the 
Americans  hastened  on  to  the  island-dwelling 
where  they  found  Mildred  alone. 

"Semessi  has  already  set  out  with  his  band 
of  soldiers  to  hold  the  pass  at  the  falls,"  she 
explained.  "He  said  we  could  follow  as  soon 
as  you  came.  And  Koloka  is  in  the  other  room 
packing  what  few  articles  I  wish  to  carry  with 
me." 

"Do  you  know,"  she  went  on  after  a  moment, 
"I  really  dread  to  go,  now  that  the  actual  leav- 
ing is  at  hand.  This  is  all  the  home  I  can  re- 
member, except  indistinctly,  and  it  is  dearer  to 
me  than  one  would  think.  Thanks  to  Maggie 
I  have  been  comfortable— she  would  not  live 
like  a  savage,  but  had  this  furniture  made,  rude 
to  be  sure,  but  civilized,  and  she  also  taught  me 
how  to  make  the  candles.  They  have  been  of 
untold  comfort  to  me  since  she  died.  Then,  too, 
she  made  many  little  conveniences  for  my  sleep- 
ing room.  Poor  Maggie,  I  loved  you  in  spite 
of  the  wrong  which  you  did  me, ' '  and  tears  glis- 
tened in  the  young  girl's  eyes. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

* '  But  I  must  go ! "  she  continued.  '  *  I  can  not 
stay  longer.  1  do  not  know  what  awaits  me  in 
the  jungles  at  the  foot  of  these  mountains,  or 
how  I  shall  fare  after  reaching  the  coast,  but 
even  though  death  itself  shall  come,  I  go  gladly, 
for  my  position  here  will  soon  be  unbearable." 

As  she  ceased,  the  old  native  woman  emerged 
from  the  inner  room,  bearing  a  large  bundle, 
rolled  in  heavy  matting.  She  spoke  to  Mildred, 
who  answered  briefly,  and  disappeared  within 
the  adjoining  apartment.  She  was  gone  some 
time,  and  when  she  returned  her  face  bore  traces 
of  weeping. 

' '  I  am  ready  now, ' '  she  said  quietly  and  with- 
out a  tremor  in  her  voice.  Leigh  raised  the 
package  to  his  shoulder,  and  the  little  party 
was  soon  in  motion. 

As  they  filed  out  across  the  bridge  into  the 
town  not  a  sound  broke  the  stillness  save  their 
own  soft  footfalls  upon  the  planking.  The 
whole  valley  seemed  wrapped  in  slumber.  The 
mist,  which  earlier  in  the  evening  had  hung 
about  the  crest  of  the  mountains,  now  enveloped 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

all  the  plain  in  its  folds.  The  high-peaked 
gables  of  the  huts  loomed  huge  and  indistinct 
through  their  grey  shroud,  and  every  tree  and 
stone  took  on  weird  shapes  because  of  the  fog. 

"Don't  you  ever  have  any  clear  weather 
here?"  Harrie  asked  in  a  low  tone  as  they  left 
the  village  behind  them,  and  stumbled  on  down 
the  narrow  pathway.  "It  seems  to  me  that  it 
has  been  misty  most  of  the  time  since  we  came. ' ' 

"It  is  so  much  of  the  time,"  Mildred  ad- 
mitted. "For  some  reason  which  I  cannot  ex- 
plain there  is  a  fog  upon  the  peaks  the  greater 
part  of  the  year,  and  it  frequently  comes  down 
into  the  valley.  But  we  do  have  clear  weather 
sometimes,  and  then  the  views  are  beautiful  and 
wonderful. ' ' 

There  was  a  pause,  during  which  all  pressed 
on  in  silence.  At  length  Leigh  said : 

"Will  Koloka  go  with  you,  or  will  she  turn 
back  at  the  end  of  the  pass!" 

"She  declares  that  she  will  go  wherever  I 
do,"  the  girl  answered.  "I  tried  to  persuade 
her  that  it  was  not  possible,  but  she  will  not  be 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

convinced.  I  told  her  it  would  only  make  the 
trip  harder  for  us  all,  but  she  insists  on  going. 
I  am  sorry,  for  I  know  that  I  alone  will  be  a 
heavy  burden  for  you." 

"No,  no,"  Dr.  Thornton  returned  quickly. 
"Don't  feel  that  way,  please.  We  are  all  glad 
to  be  able  to  aid  you.  And  let  the  old  woman 
go.  One  more  can  make  no  great  difference, 
one  way  or  the  other.  She  will  be  company  for 
you  as  well." 

' '  Hush, ' '  said  Mildred  softly.  ' '  We  are  near- 
ing  the  first  hamlet;  we  do  not  want  to  arouse 
the  natives,  you  know. ' ' 

Like  silent  spectres  the  little  column  passed 
through  the  clustered  dwellings,  without  the 
snapping  of  a  twig.  Even  the  dogs  seemed  to 
be  lost  in  slumber,  and  with  a  sigh  of  relief  they 
went  on  into  the  forest  once  more. 

"I  wish  Semes-si  had  not  gone  on  ahead," 
Harrie  remarked  after  a  short  interval. 
"Somehow  I  can't  help  feeling  that  we  have 
made  a  mistake  to  divide  our  forces.  It  may  be 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

only  nervousness,  but  I  should  feel  safer  if  the 
chief  and  his  warriors  were  along  too." 

' '  I  don 't  see  myself  why  he  should  wish  to  do 
as  he  did, ' '  the  queen  responded.  ' '  He  said  we 
would  be  less  likely  to  arouse  suspicion  if  he 
went  first  with  the  men.  Perhaps,  too,  he  was 
afraid  that  Ketabu  would  have  a  guard  at  the 
falls,  and  did  not  wish  me  to  see  the  fighting. 
I  agree  with  you,  however,  that  I  should  feel 
safer  were  he  here." 

Again  the  silence  fell  upon  the  group  as  they 
pushed  on.  The  several  hamlets  along  the 
route  were  safely  passed  in  succession,  and  the 
feeling  of  impending  disaster,  which  was  strong 
upon  them,  in  a  measure  grew  lighter.  The 
mist  was  thinning  slowly,  while  the  ragged 
peaks  of  the  eastern  range  stood  out  indistinctly 
against  the  increasing  glow  which  showed  that 
day  was  at  hand. 

Already  the  dull  roar  of  the  falls  came  to 
their  ears  across  the  intervening  distance  with 
a  regular  throb  and  rhythm  as  of  some  giant 
heart  beat.  A  half  mile  more  and  they  would 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

have  joined  Semessi,  and  danger  would  be  over. 
They  were  nearing  the  end  of  the  grove,  which 
ceased  abruptly  at  the  lower  edge  of  the  long 
upward  slope  that  led  to  the  pass  behind  the 
falling  waters. 

Then  without  warning  and  without  a  sound 
there  rose  from  the  shelter  of  rock  and  tree  a 
band  of  dusky  forms.  In  an  instant  they  had 
closed  around  the  party,  and  flight  was  impos- 
sible. 


CHAPTEK  XI. 

A  SERIOUS  SITUATION. 

BUT  THE  Americans  were  not  made  prisoners 
without  a  struggle.  So  complete  was  the  sur- 
prise that  the  little  group  were  entirely  sur- 
rounded before  they  realized  their  danger.  By 
the  time  the  natives  reached  them,  however,  the 
trio  had  rallied  and  were  ready  to  defend 
themselves. 

All  three  were  armed— for  Harrie  and  his 
father  still  carried  the  stone  hatchets  given 
them  the  previous  evening  by  the  queen,  and 
Leigh  bore  a  light  spear  which  had  been  left 
for  him  by  Semessi.  Therefore  tliey  were  pre- 
pared to  give  a  good  account  of  themselves. 

The  growing  light  revealed  this  fact  to  the 
natives,  and  they  acted  accordingly.  None  of 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

them  cared  to  run  the  risk  of  a  close  encounter 
with  the  determined  strangers,  and  so,  while  a 
number  made  a  mock  attack  in  front,  of  suffi- 
cient vigor  to  engage  the  full  attention  of  the 
Americans  without  endangering  their  own 
skins,  the  remainder  of  the  forces  stole  upon  the 
victims  from  behind,  and  by  a  skillfully  exe- 
cuted rush  succeeded  in  overpowering  the  trio 
before  the  latter  could  turn  their  weapons 
against  these  new  antagonists. 

Having  secured  their  prisoners  with  stout 
lashings  of  cord,  the  soldiers  turned  to  Mildred, 
who  stood  quietly  by,  watching  the  struggle 
with  pale  face.  For  a  moment  they  hesitated, 
and  then  gently  bound  the  girl's  hands,  in  spite 
of  her  low-toned  reproaches. 

When  this  was  done  the  squad  formed  in  line, 
with  the  captives  in  their  midst,  and  started  on 
their  return  to  the  town.  For  a  time  the  physi- 
cian and  his  young  companions  walked  in 
moody  silence ;  then  Mildred  said  in  a  whisper : 

"Where  do  you  suppose  Koloka  is!    I  have 

-157- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

not  seen  her  since  we  were  first  attacked.    Do 
you  suppose  she  got  away!" 

"Sure  enough,"  Dr.  Thornton  returned. 
"She  has  disappeared,  hasn't  she!  I  am  in- 
clined to  think  that  she  must  have  slipped  away 
unobserved  during  the  confusion.  She  may 
have  gone  on  to  warn  Semessi.  In  that  case  he 
may  come  to  our  rescue." 

"I  hope  so,"  was  the  answer.  "And  yet 
after  all  he  may  think  it  wiser  to  wait.  We  can 
be  sure  that  he  will  do  all  in  his  power  to  aid 
us." 

The  natives  now  increased  their  speed,  and 
conversation  became  difficult.  This  quicker 
pace  was  kept  up  until  more  than  half  the  dis- 
tance had  been  covered.  Then  they  came  upon 
Ketabu  and  Haniwana  advancing  to  meet  them. 
The  chief's  face  lighted  up  with  pleasure  at 
sight  of  the  prisoners,  while  the  dwarf's  coun- 
tenance took  on  a  grin  of  fiendish  glee.  Both, 
however,  fell  in  at  the  head  of  the. column,  and 
the  march  was  continued  without  interruption. 
The  town  was  just  awaking  as  they  entered 

-158- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

its  streets,  and  many  curious  glances  followed 
the  four  captives  as  they  were  hurried  on  across 
the  bridge  to  the  island,  and  back  to  the  room 
which  they  had  left  scarcely  four  hours  before. 
Then  Ketabu  dismissed  his  soldiers,  and  sent 
even  the  ever-present  Haniwana  outside,  while 
he  turned  to  Mildred  with  an  air  of  calin  assur- 
ance, and  addressed  her  in  the  native  tongue. 

Anxiously  the  trio  watched  and  listened,  for 
they  readily  surmised  that  the  fate  of  the  queen 
and  also  of  themselves  was  at  stake. 

For  some  moments  the  chief  spoke,  while  a 
deep  flush  slowly  mounted  the  maiden's  cheek, 
and  the  slumbering  passion  in  her  eyes  kindled 
into  a  blaze.  Suddenly  she  raised  her  hand 
imperiously,  and  the  native  stopped  short  in  the 
middle  of  a  sentence.  Then  she  answered  him 
in  a  few  words  so  sharp  and  cutting  that  the  fel- 
low hung  his  head  abashed. 

It  was  only  an  instant,  however/before  he  re- 
covered his  self-confidence,  and  resumed  his  re- 
marks, this  time  in  a  more  commanding  tone. 
How  long  he  would  have  talked  the  Americans 

-159- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

could  not  tell,  for  in  the  midst  of  his  speech  the 
curtain  door  was  flung  back  and  Semessi  en- 
tered, his  whole  form  quivering  with  rage. 

Across  the  room  he  strode  to  the  side  of  Ke- 
tabu,  who  had  turned  to  see  who  the  daring  in- 
truder was,  and,  before  that  astonished  digni- 
tary had  time  to  realize  the  situation,  the  old 
chief  seized  him  by  the  shoulders  and  pushed 
him  with  no  gentle  hands  through  the  doorway 
into  the  outer  air. 

Having  done  this  Semessi  approached  Mil- 
dred and  poured  out  a  torrent  of  excited  words, 
to  which  she  returned  a  few  brief  comments. 
Somewhat  relieved  -by  this  unusual  outburst  of 
temper,  the  native  recovered  his  equipoise  and 
resumed  his  customary  impassive  manner. 

Meanwhile  Ketabu  had  picked  himself  up 
from  his  ignominious  resting  place  outside,  and 
attempted  to  re-enter  the  apartment.  Leigh 
and  Harrie,  however,  stood  on  guard,  each 
armed  with  a  stool,  so  that  the  young  noble 
thought  better  of  it,  and  hastened  away. 

Mildred  now  turned  and  explained  to  the  trio 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

the  meaning  of  the  scene  they  had  just  wit- 
nessed. 

"Ketabu  came  offering  to  release  you,  and 
send  you  back  to  the  coast  under  escort,  if  I 
would  marry  him, ' '  she  said.  '  *  When  I  refused, 
he  threatened  to  kill  us  all.  What  more  he 
would  have  said  I  do  not  know,  for  it  was  at 
that  point  Semessi  came  in. 

"As  you  surmised,  Koloka  slipped  away  in 
the  turmoil  of  the  attack,  and  carried  word  to 
him  of  >our  capture.  He  started  immediately  on 
his  return,  hoping  to  come  up  with  us,  but  he 
was  not  able  to  do  so.  On  arriving  at  the  bridge 
he  found  it  guarded  by  a  band  of  Ketabu 's  fol- 
lowers, who  refused  to  allow  him  and  his  men  to 
cross. 

"Semessi  forced  his  way  over,  however,  and 
it  was  this  attempt  to  keep  him  away  from  me, 
coupled  with  Ketabu 's  presence  here,  which  so 
enraged  him.  He  says  he  will  go  at  once  and 
collect  a  force  from  among  his  own  party  suffi- 
cient to  overawe  the  young  chief,  and  enable 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

us  to  leave  the  valley  in  spite  of  him.  Mean- 
while we  are  to  remain  quietly  here." 

' '  That  is  very  good, ' '  Dr.  Thornton  assented, 
"and  we  will  guarantee  to  protect  you  if  he 
will  furnish  us  with  weapons.  We  have  lost 
the  ones  you  gave  us  last  night." 

' '  There  are  some  in  the  other  room, ' '  the  girl 
replied,  and  she  speedily  brought  them  forth— 
three  stone  tomahawks  and  an  equal  number  of 
light  spears. 

"That  is  right,"  Harrie  cried.  "Now  we 
can  hold  out  here,  should  there  be  any  need, 
while  Semessi  goes  for  his  friends.  But  the 
sooner  we  can  get  away  from  here  the  better, 
I  say." 

The  old  native  nodded,  as  if  in  assent  to  the 
boy's  remarks,  and  left  the  room.  There  was 
silence  for  some  time  after  he  went,  and  then 
Koloka  entered  by  the  doorway  which  led  out 
to  the  pavilion.  She  bore  in  her  arms  the  pack- 
age which  Leigh  had  been  carrying  and  which 
he  had  dropped  on  the  ground  at  the  time  of 
their  capture. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

Her  entrance  reminded  the  trio  of  the  fact 
that  it  would  be  well  to  guard  the  door  through 
which  she  had  come,  as  well  as  that  at  the  side 
of  the  room,  and  Leigh  was  accordingly  sta- 
tioned there. 

The  morning  passed  slowly  by.  No  one  came 
to  annoy  them,  and  Semessi  did  not  return. 
Mildred  and  Koloka  prepared  a  simple  meal 
in  which  all  shared,  and  then  the  monotonous 
waiting  was  resumed.  About  one  o'clock  the 
old  chief  came  in,  with  slow  step,  and  gloomy 
face.  He  went  directly  to  the  queen  and  made 
his  report  to  her  in  his  usual  laconic  manner. 

''He  has  failed,"  the  girl  explained  to  her 
companions  as  he  finished.  "He  finds  that  Ke- 
tabu  has  won  over  the  greater  part  of  those 
who  were  his  retainers,  and  those  who  remain 
true  will  not  take  up  arms  in  my  behalf.  They 
say  let  me  marry  the  chief,  and  that  will  end 
the  whole  difficulty.  But  that  is  something  I 
will  never  do.  There  is  a  strong  guard  of  the 
young  chief's  men  at  the  bridge,  and  it  would  be 
impossible  for  us  to  escape  from  the  island,  even 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

if  we  could  make  our  way  down  the  mountain 
unmolested. ' ' 

"You  are  sure  there  is  no  other  way  out  of 
the  valley  except  the  path  behind  the  falls!" 
the  Doctor  questioned. 

"Yes.  There  is  no  place  where  it  is  possible 
to  climb  the  cliffs,  and  no  other  opening  through 
them  is  known,"  was  the  response. 

"Then  I  do  not  see  that  there  is  anything 
that  we  can  do,"  said  Harrie,  "except  to  wait 
for  further  developments.  We  can  defend  our- 
selves here  for  some  time,  should  Ketabu  try  to 
force  his  plans  upon  us,  though  he  could  starve 
us  into  submission  eventually." 

"He  shall  never  force  me  to  submit,"  cried 
Mildred,  with  flashing  eyes.  "I'll  never  marry 
him,  never !  I  will  die  first ! ' ' 

Just  at  this  moment  the  young  chief  pre- 
sented himself  at  the  door,  demanding  admis- 
sion. At  a  word  from  the  queen,  Leigh,  who 
was  on  guard,  granted  his  request,  and  he  en- 
tered. Then  the  lad,  motioning  for  Harrie  to 

-164- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

take  his  place,  slipped  outside  to  look  about 
him. 

The  area  within  the  stockade  was  empty,  save 
for  the  guard  of  a  dozen  men  at  the  gateway, 
and  the  boy  made  a  circuit  of  the  building 
which  served  as  the  royal  residence.  As  al- 
ready stated,  this  stood  directly  opposite  the 
entrance  to  the  enclosure,  and  near  the  north- 
ern wall.  First  there  was  the  rude  porch,  or 
pavilion,  which  served  as  throne  room  for  the 
tribal  gatherings.  Back  of  this  was  a  low,  squat 
building  of  logs,  some  forty  feet  square.  A 
door  near  the  western  end  of  the  front  con- 
nected Mildred's  private  quarters  with  the 
porch.  A  second  at  the  center  of  the  west  side 
also  opened  into  the  same  room,  and  was  the 
one  by  which  the  Americans  were  accustomed 
to  enter. 

Immediately  in  the  rear  of  the  larger  and 
more  substantial  structure  stood  a  native  hut 
of  good  size,  which  the  lad  instinctively  knew 
to  be  Semessi's  dwelling.  Passing  around  this, 
which  was  silent  and  deserted,  Leigh  saw  in  the 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

northeastern  corner  of  the  main  building  an- 
other door.  From  what  he  knew  of  the  rooms 
occupied  by  the  queen,  the  lad  felt  sure  this  led 
into  some  apartment  with  which  he  was  unac- 
quainted. Continuing  his  circuit  he  found  still 
another  opening  in  the  eastern  wall.  An  idle 
curiosity  moved  him  to  peer  within,  but  all  was 
silence  and  gloom,  so  he  did  not  enter. 

As  he  reached  the  front  of  the  building  he 
saw  the  dwarf  crouching  upon  the  porch  close 
by  the  portiere  which  covered  the  door  com- 
municating with  the  room  in  which  the  prison- 
ers were  holding  their  conference  with  Ketabu. 

Impelled  by  a  desire  to  punish  the  dwarf  for 
his  continual  eaves-dropping,  and  also  by  a  boy- 
ish wish  to  have  some  fun  at  the  other's  ex- 
pense, but  with  no  intention  of  hurting  the  fel- 
low, Leigh  raised  the  spear,  which  he  still  held 
in  his  hand,  and  advanced  noiselessly  upon  the 
native,  whose  back  was  towards  him.  When 
within  a  few  feet  of  the  squatting  figure  the  lad 
reached  put  and  touched  one  of  the  broad  shoul- 
ders with  the  sharp  point  of  his  weapon. 

-166- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

f  With  a  howl  of  fear  the  dwarf  leaped  to  his 
feet,  and,  seeing  who  his  tormentor  was,  fled 
panic-stricken  around  the  corner  of  the  house, 
with  Leigh  close  at  his  heels.  Down  the  west 
side  of  the  structure  they  raced,  the  boy  taking 
care  to  keep  just  far  enough  behind  to  spur  his 
victim  on  to  greater  exertions.  Around  Semes- 
si's  hut  they  chased,  and  then  Haniwana,  now 
nearly  winded,  darted  in  at  the  open  door 
which  had  attracted  the  boy's  curiosity  a  few 
moments  earlier. 

Once  within  its  shelter  he  seemed  to  feel  him- 
self to  be  safe,  for  he  halted  and  turned  a  mock- 
ing face  to  his  pursuer.  Seeing  that  Leigh  still 
advanced  towards  him,  however,  the  hunchback 
called  out  shrilly:  "Tabu,  tabu!" 

For  an  instant  the  youth  hesitated,  mindful 
of  the  experience  that  had  befallen  Harrie  and 
himself  when  trespassing  upon  forbidden 
places  at  the  coast  village,  but  the  mocking  face 
before  him  aroused  his  ire  to  such  a  pitch  that 
he  threw  caution  to  the  winds,  and  rushed  at 
the  grinning  native. 

-167- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

The  dwarf  was  so  surprised  by  this  sacrile- 
gious act  that  he  did  not  move  until  Leigh  was 
almost  up  with  him.  Then,  in  his  haste  to  es- 
cape, he  stumbled  and  fell  sprawling  upon  the 
floor.  Before  he  could  rise  his  pursuer  was  on 
top  of  him,  and,  grasping  him  by  the  shoulders, 
administered  a  shaking  which  made  his  teeth 
rattle. 

''So  you  will  spy  on  us  all  the  time,  will 
you!"  cried  the  boy  between  shakes.  "You 
miserable,  sneaking  tell-tale !  I  'd  like  to  thrash 
you  soundly;  but  I  won't  because  you're  a 
cripple."  Then  his  eye  fell  upon  a  tall,  conical, 
wide-mouthed  basket  which  stood  near  ai  hand. 
At  sight  of  it  he  went  on : 

"I'll  give  you  a  lesson  you  won't  be  apt  to 
forget  right  away,  though!  We'll  see  how  you 
like  being  tied  up ! "  and  he  dragged  the  hunch- 
back across  the  room  until  he  could  reach  the 
big  hamper.  Seizing  it  in  his  right  hand  he 
held  the  struggling  native  with  his  left,  while 
he  clapped  the  basket  down  over  the  captive's 
head  and  shoulders,  pinning  his  arms  to  his 

-168- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

sides.  Then  he  drew  from  his  pocket  the  cord 
which  had  been  used  to  secure  his  own  feet  the 
previous  evening,  and  proceeded  to  bind  the 
dwarf's  ankles  firmly  together. 

" There,"  he  chuckled  as  he  finished,  "how  do 
you  like  being  tied  with  your  own  rope,  eh!  It 
will  give  you  a  chance  to  meditate  on  the  sin  of 
meddling  in  other  people's  business." 

He  now  glanced  about  him  curiously.  His 
eyes  had  become  accustomed  to  the  gloom,— for 
there  was  no  light  save  that  which  gained  en- 
trance through  the  doors— and  saw  that  the 
room  was  almost  bare  of  furniture.  Three  or 
four  of  the  large  baskets,  a  huge  native  drum, 
and  a  row  of  skulls  along  the  western  wall  were 
all  the  apartment  contained.  As  he  looked  he 
gave  a  low  whistle,  and  said  under  his  breath : 

"I  guess  I've  done  it  now.  This  must  be  a 
sort  of  temple,  or  sacred  house  of  some  kind. 
That  accounts  for  Haniwana's  crying  'tabu'. 
I'll  leave  now  before  anyone  comes,"  and  he 
passed  quickly  outside,  leaving  the  captive  ly- 
ing upon  the  floor. 

-169- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"I  don't  know  but  I've  done  wrong,"  he  mut- 
tered as  he  hastened  back  to  join  his  compan- 
ions. "He  is  a  cripple  and  I  ought  not  to  have 
been  so  rough  with  him.  But  it's  no  more 
than  he  deserved,  and  there's  some  satisfaction 
in  thinking  that  he  won't  do  any  more  spying 
for  a  number  of  hours  at  least. ' ' 

Here  he  turned  the  corner  in  time  to  see 
Ketabu  come  flying  through  the  door  of  Mil- 
dred's room,  propelled  by  a  vigorous  kick  from 
Dr.  Thornton's  boot.  The  young  chief  fell  in  a 
heap  upon  the  earth  but  quickly  picked  himself 
up,  and  with  many  exclamations  of  rage,  hur- 
ried off  towards  the  gateway. 

Greatly  excited  by  this  lively  scene,  Leigh 
hastened  inside,  and  demanded  an  explanation 
from  his  friend. 

"You  see,"  Harrie  answered.  "He  came  to 
threaten  Mildred  again.  He  made  himself  so 
obnoxious  that  she  couldn't  stand  it  any  longer, 
and  asked  father  to  put  him  out,  which  he  im- 
mediately proceeded  to  do." 

"I  should  say  so,"  his  comrade  returned  with 
-no- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

a  laugh.  "Both  he  and  Haniwana  are  having 
rather  rough  usage  this  afternoon,"  and  he  re- 
lated his  own  adventure  with  the  dwarf,  much 
to  Harrie's  amusement.  But  Mildred  looked 
grave. 

"I'm  afraid  our  discourteous  treatment  of 
Ketabu,  together  with  your  act,  will  render  our 
enemies  more  bitter  than  ever,"  she  said. 
"Not  that  your  frightening  Haniwana  will  do 
any  harm,  but  your  entrance  into  the  'forbidden 
room'  of  the  tribe  is  a  more  serious  offence. 
Our  situation  was  so  near  hopeless,  however, 
that  it  will  make  little  difference  in  the  end. ' ' 

For  a  time  there  was  silence.  Then  Semessi 
rose  and  quietly  left  the  room.  Why  he  went 
no  one  knew.  An  hour  passed,  and  he  did  not 
return.  The  afternoon  was  already  advanced 
when  the  curtain  before  the  door  was  once  more 
raised  and  the  old  chief  stepped  inside,  uttering 
the  one  word : 

"Come." 


-171- 


CHAPTER  XII. 

KETABU'S  TRIUMPH. 

WONDERING  somewhat  at  the  unexpected  sum- 
mons, Mildred  and  the  three  Americans  rose 
and  followed  Semessi  from  the  room.  He  led 
them  around  to  the  front  of  the  building,  to  the 
open  space  before  the  pavilion,  where  the  cast- 
aways had  stood  on  the  day  of  their  first  hearing 
before  the  queen. 

Now,  as  then,  the  wide  area  within  the  stock- 
ade was  filled  with  natives,  and  in  all  the  sea  of 
faces  turned  towards  him,  the  physician  was 
unable  to  detect  a  single  friendly  glance.  Evi- 
dently Ketabu  had  done  his  work  well.  He 
was  sitting  upon  the  platform  in  the  rude  chair 
which  in  all  former  tribal  gatherings  had  been 
allotted  to  the  Golden  Lily,  and  his  face  glowed 
with  triumph. 

-172- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

Leaving  the  prisoners  standing  before  the  ex- 
pectant throng,  Semessi  took  his  place  behind 
the  younger  chief.  There  was  a  brief  interval 
of  hushed  expectancy,  and  then  Ketabu  arose. 

With  a  scornful  glance  at  the  little  group  be- 
fore him,  he  began  to  speak.  While  the  cast- 
aways were  unable  to  understand  all  that  he 
said,  yet  they  caught  enough  to  give  them  some 
idea  of  his  argument,  and  this  knowledge  was 
later  increased  by  a  fuller  explanation  on  the 
.part  of  Mildred.  Beginning  with  the  coming  of 
Maggie  and  the  child,  and  the  selection  of  the 
latter  as  queen,  he  went  on  to  tell  of  his  own  de- 
sire to  marry  the  young  girl,  claiming  that  she 
had  smiled  upon  his  suit  until  the  arrival  of  the 
white  faced  strangers. 

Since  then,  bewitched  by  the  foreign  devils, 
she  had  refused  all  his  offers,  and  had  given  all 
her  favors  to  the  newcomers.  Urged  by  a  sense 
of  duty  he  had  endeavored  to  force  the  visitors 
to  leave,  but  to  his  surprise  the  Golden  Lily 
had  attempted  to  steal  away  with  them  under 
cover  of  the  night.  Therefore  he  had  been 

-173- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

forced  to  seize  them  all  to  prevent  such  a  catas- 
trophe. 

He  had  been  to  her  a  number  of  times  during 
the  day,  he  stated,  striving  to  win  her  from  the 
cursed  influence  of  the  pale  faced  ones,  only  to 
receive  insult  after  insult,  both  from  her  and 
from  the  intruders,  as  his  reward. 

There  remained  but  one  remedy— the  death 
of  the  strangers.  He  had  not  been  willing  to 
take  this  upon  himself,  though  he  knew  that  it 
would  free  the  queen  from  their  witcheries,  and 
he  would  have  been  justified  in  such  a  course. 
He  preferred  to  bring  the  matter  before  the 
tribe  as  a  whole,  that  they  might  decide  whether 
the  Golden  Lily,  who  had  been  sent  to  rule 
over  them,  should  be  allowed  to  depart;  or 
whether  the  ones  who  had  cast  a  spell  over 
her  should  be  punished.  Were  they  to  give  up 
their  heaven  sent  ruler  to  these  men  who  had 
come  among  them  as  prisoners  of  war?  Was  it 
not  much  'better  to  reward  them  according  to 
their  deserts? 

So  he  pleaded,  throwing  all  the  fervor  of  the 

-174- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

native  spirit  into  his  words,  and  swaying  his 
audience  by  his  passionate  outbursts.  Only  too 
plainly  was  it  evident  to  the  prisoners  that  Ket- 
abu's  will  would  rule  the  day. 

As  he  ceased,  and  stood  awaiting  the  approv- 
al of  his  hearers,  Mildred,  who  had  listened  to 
his  skillfully  woven  indictment  with  flushed 
cheeks  and  flashing  eyes,  turned  towards  the  as- 
sembled throng  and,  holding  out  her  hands  ap- 
pealingly,  cried : 

"Is  it  justice,  oh,  my  people,  is  it  justice  to 
hear  but  one  side  of  the  question,  and  to  judge 
by  that  alone?  Will  you  condemn  me,  the 
Golden  Lily,  your  queen,  without  allowing  me 
to  speak  for  myself  I 

"I  did  not  come  among  you  willingly.  I  had 
a  home  among  my  own  people,  and  a  loving 
father.  But  my  nurse  and  Semessi  stole  me 
away  from  it  all,  and  brought  me  hither  as  you 
know.  And  though  you  have  always  been  kind 
to  me,  and  though  I  have  come  to  love  Semessi 
in  place  of  the  father  whom  I  have  lost,  yet  I 

—175— 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

have  longed  much  for  my  own  land  and  my  own 
people. 

' '  Ketabu  did  not  tell  you  the  truth.  I  did  not 
favor  his  attentions,  even  in  the  beginning.  I 
do  not  wish  to  marry.  And  if  I  did,  should  not 
I,  the  Golden  Lily,  have  the  right  to  choose 
my  husband!  There  are  other  young  men 
among  you  whom  I  would  select  in  preference 
to  the  chief,  for  they  are  more  noble. 

' '  Nor  have  the  white  strangers  bewitched  me. 
Can  I  not  rejoice  to  again  see  those  who  are  of 
the  same  blood  as  myself?  Is  it  not  natural 
that  I  should  wish  to  return  with  them  to  my 
father?  Did  not  Semessi,  though  carried  far 
away,  return  again  to  his  own  land?  If  one  of 
your  little  ones  were  stolen  away  from  your 
arms  by  another  tribe,  my  sisters,  would  you  not 
long  for  her  to  return?  Are  you  unwilling  that 
I,  who  have  been  so  long  a  stranger  in  a  strange 
land,  should  return  to  my  father's  house? 

"Are  you  so  changed,  is  your  old  love  for  me 
all  gone?  You,  whom  I  have  loved,  and  to 
whom  my  coming  has  brought  prosperity,  do 

-176- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

you  now  turn  away  from  me  to  listen  to  the 
words  of  this  man,  who  is  my  enemy?  Oh,  «iy 
people,  that  I  should  live  to  meet  such  ingrat- 
itude ! ' '  and  she  burst  into  a  passion  of  weeping. 

A  hush  had  fallen  over  the  company  as  Mil- 
dred poured  forth  her  plea,  her  head  thrown 
proudly  back,  her  hair  radiant  in  the  glow  of  the 
setting  sun,  her  face  flushed  with  excitement. 
For  a  moment  it  seemed  that  she  had  won  the 
gathered  natives  to  her  cause,  and  that  Ketabu 
had  lost.  But  just  when  deliverance  seemed  as- 
sured, an  unexpected  happening  turned  back  the 
rising  tide  of  favor,  until  it  swept  in  a  mad 
current  to  the  opposite  extreme. 

Around  the  eastern  corner  of  the  royal  dwell- 
ing came  a  strange  and  ludicrous  sight.  It  was 
Haniwana,  still  bearing  upon  his  head  the  tall, 
conical  basket  with  which  Leigh  had  crowned 
him.  How  he  had  succeeded  in  untying  his  feet 
they  never  knew.  But  free  he  was,  and  now 
came  staggering  blindly  along,  groping  as  a 
blind  man  would,  stumbling  over  the  slightest 
obstacles,  while  his  strange  headgear  kept  up  a 

-177- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

continual  bobbing,  nodding,  and  swaying,  as 
though  in  mockery  at  its  victim.  As  he  ad- 
vanced the  dwarf  gave  utterance  to  the  most 
unearthly  yells,  which,  muffled  by  the  wicker- 
work  cage,  sounded  like  the  voice  of  some  de- 
mon let  loose  from  the  under  world. 

At  first  no  one  except  the  prisoners  recogniz- 
ed the  hunchback,  and  the  natives  sat  transfixed 
with  terror.  As  Haniwana  drew  near  the  plat- 
form, however,  calling  out  "Ketabu!  Master! 
Eelease  me,  release  me!"  the  young  chief 
sprang  to  the  ground  and  ran  to  assist  his  ser- 
vitor 

When  the  basket  had  at  length  been  removed 
by  a  considerable  expenditure  of  muscle,  the 
dwarf  rushed  madly  at  Leigh,  nourishing  his 
arms,  and  pouring  out  a  stream  of  abuse.  A 
word  from  Ketabu  called  him  back,  and  after  a 
whispered  conversation  betwen  the  two,  Han- 
iwana mounted  to  the  flooring  and  related  his 
story.  When  he  told  of  the  lad's  entrance  into 
the  ' forbidden  room'  in  spite  of  the  warning 
cry  of  'tabu'  his  hearers  burst  into  a  tumult  of 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

savage  rage,  which  brought  a  satisfied  smile  to 
the  young  chief's  face. 

With  a  despairing  gesture  Mildred  turned  to 
her  companions  and  whispered : 

' '  It  is  all  over  now !  Nothing  that  I  can  say 
will  avail  us  after  this.  We  are  lost." 

It  was  evident  to  them  that  her  words  were 
true.  Fierce  shouts  arose  from  the  throng  as 
Ketabu  once  more  stepped  forward  to  address 
them.  His  words  were  few.  He  simply  called 
attention  to  the  additional  proof  just  given  of 
the  evil  character  of  the  strangers,  and  of  the 
stronger  reasons  for  punishing  them,  asking  if 
it  were  the  will  of  the  tribe  that  they  be  put  to 
death. 

A  howl  of  assent  went  up  from  every  native 
throat,  which  fairly  rent  the  heavens  with  its 
ferocious  zeal.  When  it  had  died  away,  the 
chief  put  a  second  question. 

"Is  it  your  wish  that  the  Golden  Lily  marry 
me,  under  penalty  of  sharing  the  fate  of  the 
foreigners  if  she  refuses!"  he  inquired.  And 
again  the  consent  was  unanimous. 

-179- 


•      THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

Turning  to  Mildred  the  young  man  said : 
1  '  *  What  have  you  to  say  to  this  I ' ' 

Drawing  herself  up  proudly  the  queen  made 
answer : 

"I  accept  the  unjust  decree  of  an  ungrateful 
people,  and  I  choose  the  second  alternative. 
Let  me  die  with  the  white  faced  strangers." 

Then  turning  to  Semessi,  she  went  on : 

''Oh,  Semessi!  Semessi!  You  have  been  a 
father  to  me !  You  have  loved  me,  I  know,  and 
you  have  long  been  my  protector !  On  you  have 
I  bestowed  that  love  which  would  have  been 
given  to  my  own  parents  had  I  known  them. 
And  can  you  stand  there,  cold  and  impassive, 
while  I  am  condemned  to  death?  Will  you 
make  no  effort  to  save  your  child?  Is  your 
love  dead?  Oh  that  I  had  died  with  Maggie! 
For  her  love  was  true,  even  though  once  it 
wronged  me!" 

Throughout  the  entire  proceedings  the  old 
man  had  remained  like  a  statue  of  bronze  be- 
hind the  chair.  Not  a  muscle  moved,  not  an 


He  saw  the  body  of  the  aged  priest  lying  prone  upon  the  floor 

(Page  314) 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

eyelid  stirred.  Now,  however,  he  stepped  to 
the  front  and  said : 

"Semessi  does  not  forget  his  love.  Nor  does 
he  question  the  voice  of  the  tribe  when  it  has 
spoken.  Yet  one  suggestion  he  would  make,  and 
it  is  this :  Let  the  prisoners  be  bound  and  placed 
in  a  canoe.  Then  let  the  canoe  float  down  the 
river  and  over  the  falls  at  the  foot  of  the  valley. 
Let  this  be  the  manner  of  their  death.  Is  it  your 
will?" 

" It  is!  It  is!"  cried  the  delighted  throng,  the 
novelty  of  the  scheme  appealing  forcibly  to 
them. 

Mildred  listened  to  the' old  chief's  words  in  a 
maze  of  doubt  and  fear.  Had  he  gone  over 
entirely  to  the  side  of  the  enemy,  to  suggest  so 
cruel  a  method  of  executing  the  death  sentence  ? 
It  seemed  so,  and  yet  there  was  the  expression : 
"Semessi  does  not  forget  his  love."  Was  there 
some  hidden  meaning  in  his  words?  She  could 
not  tell,  nor  did  the  native's  attitude  aid  her. 
Having  received  the  consent  of  the  crowd  to  his 

181- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

proposal  lie  turned  to  his  young  colleague  and 
asked : 

"Shall  the  sentence  be  executed  to-morrow 
morning  within  an  hour  after  sunrise  1 ' ' 

Ketabu  bowed  his  assent,  and  then  dismissed 
the  prisoners.  As  they  were  about  to  leave  Har- 
rie  caught  the  queen  by  the  arm. 

1 1  Look ! "  he  cried,  pointing  up  the  valley  to- 
wards the  fall,  where  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun 
shining  upon  the  cloud  of  mist  and  spray  which 
hung  over  the  rushing  flood,  had  formed  a  glor- 
ious rainbow.  ' '  See,  the  bow  of  promise !  An 
omen  of  good  fortune  for  us ! " 

Long  the  little  group  gazed,  until  the  bright 
arch  dimmed  and  faded.  Then  Dr.  Thornton 
said  gravely : 

"Let  us  trust  that  it  is  in  truth  the  harbinger 
of  deliverance!"  and  he  led  the  way  back  to 
their  room. 

When  they  were  again  alone,  Mildred  ex- 
plained to  her  companions  those  parts  of  the 
trial  which  they  had  failed  to  comprehend,  and 

-182- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

they  then  discussed  at  some  length  their  situa- 
tion. 

"I  did  not  think  Semessi  would  desert  us  as 
he  did, ' '  Leigh  exclaimed.  ' '  I  thought  he  would 
at  least  move  for  a  delay,  but  instead  he  has 
hastened  matters  as  much  as  possible. ' ' 

"I  cannot  believe  that  he  is  untrue,"  the  girl 
said  hastily.  "It  cannot  be.  He  has  always 
been  my  friend,  and  I  believe  even  now  that  he 
is  faithful,  and  that  behind  his  suggestion  there 
is  some  plan  for  our  deliverance. ' ' 

* '  I  agree  with  you, ' '  Harrie  assented  warmly. 
' '  He  may  have  done  as  he  did  to  allay  suspicion, 
intending  between  now  and  morning  to  make 
some  move  to  free  us. ' ' 

"I  sincerely  hope  that  you  are  right,"  the 
physician  rejoined.  "But  I  cannot  help  doubt- 
ing. However,  there  is  nothing  that  we  can  do 
ourselves. ' ' 

Darkness  came  on  rapidly,  and  by  the  time 
the  conversation  came  to  an  end  night  was  at 
hand.  Meanwhile  a  squad  of  six  armed  men 
had  been  posted  at  each  entrance  to  the  room, 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

showing  plainly  that  Ketabu  did  not  intend  that 
there  should  be  opportunity  for  treachery  on 
Semessi's  part. 

No  one  visited  the  prisoners,  save  to  bring 
them  their  evening  meal  of  which  they  partook 
sparingly  and  in  silence.  The  old  chieftain  did 
not  put  in  an  appearance,  nor  did  Koloka  re- 
turn to  be  with  Mildred.  Not  a  friend  seemed 
left  to  the  forlorn  quartette.  There  was  very  lit- 
tle conversation  for  none  of  the  party  were  in  a 
mood  for  talking.  The  consciousness  that  death 
in  a  cruel  form  was  drawing  nearer  and  nearer 
with  each  passing  moment  sealed  their  lips. 
Each  one  sat  motionless,  busy  with  his  own 
thoughts.  In  the  minds  of  the  queen  and  Har- 
rie  there  still  lingered  a  faint  hope  that  Semes- 
si  would  yet  appear  for  their  deliverance,  but 
as  midnight  came  and  passed  without  his  doing 
so,  even  they  were  forced  to  believe  him  faith- 
less. 

Towards  morning'  the  young  girl  slept  a  lit- 
tle, in  fitful  snatches.  The  three  Americans 
watched  the  beautiful  face  anxiously,  fearing 

-184- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

the  effect  of  the  prolonged  strain.  But  the  dark 
circles  about  her  eyes  were  the  only  traces  left 
by  the  deep  waters  through  which  her  soul  was 
passing. 

As  the  grey  dawn  came  creeping  over  the 
valley,  Mildred  awoke.  Her  lips  quivered  a  tri^ 
fle  as  she  glanced  from  one  to  another,  but  not  3 
tear  came  to  her  eyes.  She  rose  and  held  out 
her  hands.  Silently  the  trio  grasped  them,  one 
by  one,  for  a  last  friendly  greeting.  Long  they 
stood  there,  each  in  silent  sympathy  for  thd 
others,  until  a  stir  at  the  door  announced  that 
the  supreme  hour  was  at  hand. 

With  calm  faces  the  prisoners  met  the 
squad  of  men  who  entered  and  proceeded  to 
tie  their  hands.  Then  they  were  led  out 
across  the  enclosure,  through  the  great  gateway,, 
over  the  bridge,  along  the  deserted  village 
streets,  and  on  down  the  river's  bank.  The 
hush  of  early  morning  was  in  the  air.  The  first 
rays  of  the  sun  were  tinging  the  mountain  peaks 
with  glory,  the  birds  were  awaking  in  the  thick- 
ets as  they  passed,  and  all  nature  seemed  gladv 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

while  only  over  those  four  hearts  hung  the 
shadow  of  death. 

A  couple  of  miles  were  traversed  and  the 
party  neared  the  western  extremity  of  the  val- 
ley. Here  the  precipitous  wall  of  dark  grey 
stone  rose  in  forbidding  grandeur  for  five  hun- 
dred feet,  unbroken  save  for  the  yawning  crev- 
ice through  which  the  waters  of  the  stream 
plunged  in  their  exit. 

The  riverside  was  lined  with  a  throng  of  wait- 
ing natives,  while  close  at  hand  was  moored  the 
canoe  in  which  the  quartette  were  to  take  that 
fatal  leap.  It  was  a  small  affair,  hollowed  from 
a  single  log,  and  differing  but  little  from  those 
along  the  coast.  A  few  were  owned  and  used 
by  the  inhabitants  of  the  valley,  a  remnant  of 
their  old  time  seaboard  customs. 

Beside  the  waiting  craft  stood  Ketabu,  in  all 
his  native  finery,  and  still  that  smiling  look  of 
triumph  illumined  his  face.  In  vain  Mildred 
searched  the  crowd  for  Semessi.  Nowhere  was 
he  to  be  seen. 

-186- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

Evidently  he  did  not  care  to  witness  the  death 
of  his  former  favorite. 

As  the  captives  halted,  Ketabu  motioned  for 
two  of  the  guard  to  hold  the  canoe  close  to  the 
bank,  while  one  by  one  the  little  party  took  their 
places  within  it.  Then  the  chief  gave  the  word 
to  cast  off  the  moorings. 

At  the  command  there  was  a  stir  among  the 
crowd,  and  old  Koloka  darted  out  from  their 
ranks,  screaming  loudly.  Startled  by  the  inter- 
ruption, the  man  at  the  bow  still  retained  his 
hold,  allowing  the  boat  to  swing  around  stern 
foremost,  while  the  old  creature  threw  herself 
over  its  side,  almost  upsetting  it  with  the  shock. 
The  fellow  turned  inquiringly  to  his  master, 
who  shouted  impatiently: 

"Let  the  old  fool  go  if  she  wants  to !" 
The  man  released  his  grasp,  and  the  frail 
craft  was  swept  away  by  the  current,  to  hang 
for  an  instant  on  the  brink  of  the  chasm.  Then 
it  vanished  forever  from  the  sight  of  the  watch- 
ing throng. 

-187- 


CHAPTEE  XIII. 

SEMESSI  'S  VINDICATION. 

OLD  KOLOKA'S  act,  while  seemingly  one  of  un- 
thinking frenzy,  was  in  reality  a  part  of  a  pre- 
arranged plan.  In  one  hand  she  carried  a  na- 
tive knife  of  bamboo,  its  edge  as  keen  as  that  of 
a  razor,  and  during  the  brief  interval  which 
elapsed  before  the  canoe  went  over  the  falls 
she  severed  the  bonds  of  the  prisoners. 

Thus  it  was  that  the  party  made  the  plunge, 
not,  as  Ketabu  supposed,  in  a  state  of  helpless- 
ness, but  in  perfect  freedom  of  limb.  The  light 
craft  poised  for  an  instant  on  the  brink  of  the 
chasm,  and  then  went  down  with  a  sudden,  sick- 
ening leap. 

To  the  great  surprise  of  all  the  drop  was  a 
short  one.  Instead  of  pouring  over  a  precipice 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

a  hundred  feet  in  height,  as  it  did  in  entering 
the  valley,  the  stream  simply  tumbled  down  a 
ledge  into  a  deep  basin  which  lay  scarcely  thirty 
feet  below.  This  fact  was  not  noticeable  from 
above,  owing  to  the  way  in  which  the  cliffs  shut 
in  the  bed  of  the  stream. 

In  its  descent  the  boat  turned  completely  over, 
spilling  its  occupants  broadcast,  so  that  they 
struck  the  water  entirely  unencumbered.  The 
force  of  their  fall  sent  them  far  below  the  sur- 
face, to  which  they  rose  again  presently,  breath- 
less and  spluttering. 

The  first  thought  of  each  of  the  three  Ameri- 
cans was  for  Mildred,  and  they  all  hastened  to 
her  aid.  Dr.  Thornton  chanced  to  be  nearer 
than  the  others,  and  was  soon  beside  her,  where- 
upon the  lads  gave  their  attention  to  the  old  wo- 
man, who  was  making  a  feeble  struggle  to  keep 
herself  afloat. 

They  had  barely  reached  her  side  when  there 
came  a  low  call  off  to  the  right,  and,  glancing  in 
the  direction  of  the  sound,  they,  to  their  aston- 
ishment, saw  Semessi  standing  at  the  edge  of  a 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

long  shelf  of  rock  which,  rising  six  inches  above 
the  level  of  the  pool,  extended  for  some  dis- 
tance from  the  foot  of  the  rocky  wall.  When 
the  chief  had  attracted  the  attention  of  the  two 
swimming  boys,  he  pointed  out  into  the  center 
of  the  "basin  uttering  the  single  word :  * '  Canoe. ' ' 

A  look  revealed  the  little  craft,  floating  bot- 
tom up  on  the  water,  and  Harrie  quickly  real- 
ized that  it  must  be  secured  at  once.  Leaving 
his  friend  to  support  Koloka,  he  swam  out  un- 
til he  was  able  to  seize  the  boat,  and  then,  push- 
ing it  before  him,  he  returned  to  the  shore, 
where  his  companions  were  already  standing. 
As  he  clambered  out  upon  the  rocky  platform, 
the  physician  came  to  his  aid,  and  they  drew 
the  vessel  up  beside  them. 

Meanwhile  Mildred  had  been  holding  an  ani- 
mated conversation  with  Semessi,  and  now 
turned  a  smiling  face  to  her  companions  as  she 
explained  to  them  thet  old  man's  unexpected 
presence. 

"He  was  true  to  us  after  all,"  she  said  joy- 
ously. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

' '  You  see,  he  saw  that  it  would  be  impossible  for 
us  to  escape  from  the  valley  by  way  of  the  pass, 
since  Ketabu  was  so  powerful,  and  that  some 
other  plan  must  be  devised.  • 

"The  older  chief  knew  that  this  fall  was  not 
so  great  as  was  generally  supposed,  and  he  was 
also  acquainted  with  a  rough  path  which  leads 
down  to  this  platform.  It  is  known  to  but  a  few 
of  the  older  men,  and  so  he  proposed  the  man- 
ner in  which  our  death  sentence  was  to  be  exe- 
cuted, trusting  to  avoid  suspicion,  and  yet  save 
us. 

"Then  during  the  night  he  brought  these 
provisions  down  here"— pointing  to  a  small 
mound  of  food— "and  arranged  with  Koloka 
for  her  to  take  the  part  which  she  carried  out  so  ' 
successfully.  He  is  here  to  go  with  us  to  the 
coast,  for  he  says  that  he  will  not  leave  me," 
and  she  gave  the  native  a  bright  smile. 

"We  little  thought  an  hour  ago  that  our  de- 
liverance was    so    near    at    hand,"    remarked 
Leigh. 
"No,  indeed,"  assented  Harrie,  "and  if  we 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

had  been  told  it  was  so,  we  would  not  have  be- 
lieved it." 

"I,  for  one,  am  sincerely  sorry  that  I  ever 
doubted  Semessi,  and  accused  him  of  being  a 
turncoat,"  Dr.  Thornton  added  cordially. 

•'Does  he  know  anything  about  the  course 
of  the  river  below  here  I ' '  his  son  inquired.  , 

The  chief  shook  his  head  as  he  returned : 

" Not  know." 

' '  Then  we  still  have  an  uncertain  venture  be- 
fore us,"  the  lad  resumed.  "But  after  our  re- 
cent experience  I  shall  not  lose  faith  so  easily 
again. ' ' 

"I  think  we  can  all  say  the  same,"  the  phy- 
sician said.  "And  we  surely  have  cause  for 
gratitude  that  a  kind  providence  has  so  far 
watched  over  us,  sparing  our  lives. ' ' 

"Semessi  has  brought  enough  food  to  last  us 
for  several  days,"  Mildred  announced,  "and 
also  a  few  weapons — bows  and  arrows,  and 
spears.  So  that  we  should  be  able  to  secure 
food  when  we  reach  the  plains  below." 

"  If  we  are  able  to  reach  them, ' '  Leigh  put  in ; 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

."I  should  think  that  the  canoe  would  be  badly 
damaged  by  its  plunge." 

"We  can  easily  find  out,"  the  Doctor  an- 
swered, bending  over  the  stranded  craft. 

A  careful  examination  showed  that  the  boat 
had  been  injured  but  little  in  its  descent.  The 
outrigger  was  pulled  free  from  its  fastenings  at 
the  bow,  but  otherwise  no  harm  had  been  done. 
A  few  moments  work  had  sufficed  to  make  the 
needed  repairs,  and  then  the  craft  was  in  a  con- 
dition to  resume  its  voyage. 

"What  are  we  to  do  for  paddles'?"  asked 
Ilarrie  when  they  had  completed  their  task. 

' '  That 's  so, "  cried  Leigh.  "We  won 't  get  far 
without  them." 

"Here  some,"  the  chief  returned,  producing 
from  the  pile  of  articles  a  couple  of  the  desired 
implements  of  the  usual  rude  native  make. 

"Those  aren't  much  to  look  at,"  the  lad  re- 
marked disgustedly,  "but  I  guess  they'll  have  to 
answer. ' ' 

As  there  was  no  way  of  making  a  fire  upon  the 
ledge  and  the  party  were  shivering  from  their 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

involuntary  bath,  for  the  air  of  the  canyon  was 
cool,  it  was  deemed  best  to  embark  at  once  on  the 
journey  down  the  river,  and  proceed  until  a 
more  suitable  landing  place  should  be  found. 

Accordingly  the  canoe  was  launched,  and  the 
lads  held  its  bow  and  stern  while  the  physician 
and  Semessi  stowed  on  board  the  small  store  of 
provisions  which  the  native  had  provided.  Then 
the  voyagers  took  their  places  in  turn.  The 
boat  was  not  large,  and  the  six  people  made  a 
heavy  load,  yet  all  went  well  as  they  pushed 
away  from  the  rocky  platform,  and  the  stream 
swept  them  around  a  corner  of  the  wall. 

On  either  hand  the  cliffs  rose  sheer  from  the 
water's  edge  to  a  considerable  height.  Not  a 
cranny  or  crevice  broke  their  perpendicular 
sides.  The  current  was  swift  but  smooth,  and 
the  canoe  darted  on  at  a  rapid  rate.  All  that 
was  required  of  the  native,  who  sat  in  the  stern 
and  grasped  the  paddle,  was  to  keep  the  little 
vessel  in  the  middle  of  the  river. 

On  and  on  they  went.  Higher  and  higher 
rose  the  beetling  walls  of  stone,  grey  and  for- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

bidding.  So  lofty  were  they  that  the  light  pene- 
trated but  dimly  to  the  depths  where  the  waters 
coursed,  and  the  air  was  damp  and  chill. 

Mile  after  mile  was  passed  in  silence.  The 
occupants  of  the  canoe  grew  stiff  and  cramped 
from  their  uncomfortable  positions.  And  still 
there  were  no  signs  that  the  end  of  the  canyon 
was  nearer  than  when  they  had  first  set  forth. 

At  length,  when  the  forenoon  was  well  ad- 
vanced, they  rounded  a  curve  beyond  which  the 
cliffs  receded  from  the  river's  brink,  leaving  a 
pebbly  margin  between  the  shore  and  their  base. 
Then  their  height  gradually  grew  less,  until,  a 
half  hour  later,  the  stream  emerged  into  a  val- 
ley, shut  in  by  low  hills,  and  whose  floor  was 
carpeted  with  thick  grass. 

Semessi  guided  the  craft  to  a  narrow  strip  of 
sandy  beach,  and  there  the  party  disembarked. 
Pulling  the  canoe  well  up  on  the  shore,  the  chief 
left  his  companions  to  start  a  fire  while  he,  tak- 
ing bow  and  arrows,  went  off  towards  a  grove 
a  short  distance  away. 

From  a  nearbv  thicket  the  two  lads  secured 


THROUGH  AN  tTNKNOWN  ISLE. 

the  necessary  fuel,  and  Dr.  Thornton  produced 
his  match  box.  Fortunately  it  had  proved  water 
tight,  and  the  dozen  matches  it  contained  were 
in  good  condition.  One  of  these  was  quickly 
made  use  of,  and  a  cheery  blaze  was  shortly 
sending  out  its  warmth. 

They  gathered  in  a  little  circle  about  it,  en- 
deavoring to  remove  the  moisture  from  their 
drenched  garments,  and  were  thus  engaged 
when  Semessi  returned,  bringing  a  couple  of 
large  crested  pigeons,  which  weighed  three 
pounds  or  more  each.  These  he  at  once  pro- 
ceeded to  dress,  and,  when  broiled  over  the  fire, 
they  formed  the  basis  of  a  most  appetizing  meal, 
supplemented  by  the  yams  roasted  in  the  ashes. 

When  their  hunger  had  been  appeased,  and 
their  clothing  had  been  dried  as  thoroughly  as 
circumstances  would  allow,  a  consultation  was 
held  as  to  the  course  which  they  should  follow. 

"Thanks  to  Ketabu  and  Semessi,"  Dr. 
Thornton  began, '  *  the  great  question  of  how  we 
were  to  leave  the  valley  has  been  settled  for  us, 
and  we  are  now  well  away  from  its  boundaries. 

-196- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

But  we  must  still  be  at  least  two  hundred  miles 
from  the  south  coast  in  a  straight  line.  So 
there  lies  before  us  the  task  of  traversing  that 
distance." 

"Say  rather,"  interposed  his  son,  "that  we 
shall  have  to  travel  from  three  to  four  hundred 
miles  through  the  wilderness,  for  we  will  not  be 
able  to  follow  a  direct  route  to  the  sea. ' ' 

"You  are  right,"  was  the  response.  "Still, 
the  problem  remains  to  be  solved.  Is  Semessi 
acquainted  with  this  section  of  the  country?" 
and  he  looked  inquiringly  at  Mildred. 

It  was  the  chief  himself  who  answered,  and  by 
a  brief  negative.  Then  Harrie  spoke  again. 

' '  It  makes  little  difference, ' '  he  said.  '  *  Here 
is  the  river.  It  doubtless  runs  to  the  sea.  We 
have  only  to  follow  to  reach  the  same  goal.  And 
then,  too,  we  have  Leigh's  compass,  which  I  see 
is  still  attached  to  his  watch  chain." 

' '  Very  true, ' '  the  physician  assented.  ' '  Yet  it 
might  prove  of  value  to  us  did  Semessi  know 
something  of  the  tribes  which  are  to  be  en- 
countered in  the  region  through  which  we  must 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

pass.  However,  we  can  do  nothing  under  the 
circumstances  except  to  go  on  down  the  stream, 
trusting  that  we  shall  escape  unmolested.  As 
you  say,  such  a  course  will  eventually  bring  us 
to  the  coast." 

' '  And  voyaging  in  the  canoe  will  prove  much 
pleasanter  for  Mildred  than  tramping  through 
the  underbrush,"  Leigh  remarked.  "That  is 
still  another  consideration  which  counts  in  favor 
of  this  plan." 

"You  will  not  try  to  go  on  to-day,  will  you!" 
asked  the  young  girl. 

"No,"  the  gentleman  answered.  "It  is  al- 
ready late,  and  we  are  all  in  need  of  rest.  We 
could  not  find  a  more  suitable  place  to  spend 
the  night  than  this.  WTe  will  make  our  camp 
here." 

In  accordance  with  the  decision  a  rude  shelter 
of  brush  was  erected  for  Mildred  and  Koloka, 
and  a  goodly  supply  of  fire  wood  was  collected 
for  use  during  the  night.  Evening  was  at  hand 
by  the  time  these  arrangements  were  completed, 
and  the  party  were  soon  asleep— the  queen  and 

-198- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

her  nurse  within  the  hut,  the  others  stretched 
before  the  fire,  save  for  Dr.  Thornton,  who 
stood  the  first  watch. 

The  night  passed  quietly,  and  at  dawn  the 
campers  were  astir.  Breakfast  was  quickly  eat- 
en, and  as  the  sun  sent  his  first  beams  over 
the  neighboring  hills  the  journey  to  the  coast 
was  begun— a  journey  which  was  to  consume 
long,  weary  weeks,  and  to  try  the  endurance  of 
each  and  all  to  the  utmost  limit. 


-199- 


PART  II. 


IN  THE  WILDS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  STERN  CHASE. 

For  nearly  a  week  the  wanderers  continued 
their  voyage  down  the  river  without  interrup- 
tion and  without  accident.  During  the  first  two 
days  the  stream  wonnd  in  and  out  among  the 
low  foot-hills,  whose  rounded  summits  rose  on 
all  sides  in  picturesque  confusion. 

For  the  most  part  these  spurs  of  the  loftier 
ranges  to  the  north  were  covered  with  dense 
forests  of  semi-tropical  growth,  but  here  and 
there  were  occasional  slopes  free  from  all  trees, 
while  in  the  valleys  which  nestled  at  their  feet 
were  fair  expanses  of  meadow,  or  more  open 
groves. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

Each  night  the  canoe  was  made  fast  to  the 
bank  and  a  rude  camp  was  built  on  shore. 
This  consisted  of  a  small  brush  hut  for  Mildred 
and  the  old  native  woman,  and  a  windbreak  of 
the  same  material  in  whose  shelter  the  other 
members  of  the  party  slept  beside  the  fire,  which 
was  kept  burning  all  night.  This  was  done  not 
alone  as  a  matter  of  protection,  but  because  the 
night  air  was  chilly,  even  though  they  were  far 
within  the  tropics. 

They  did  not  lack  for  food,  as  there  was  an 
abundance  of  small  game,  including  the  curious 
little  cuscus.  This  is  a  sleepy-looking  animal, 
about  the  size  of  a  full  grown  cat,  with  beauti- 
ful silky  fur,  and  a  long,  flexible  tail.  The  latter 
is  naked  for  the  outer  two-thirds  of  its  length, 
and  serves  the  purpose  of  a  fifth  foot,  enabling 
the  owner  to  hang  from  the  limbs  of  the  trees 
in  which  it  makes  its  home. 

Semessi  informed  the  Americans  that  the 
creature  remained  hidden  in  some  sheltered 
nook  during  the  day,  to  go  abroad  after  dark 
in  search  of  the  fruits,  flowers,  leaves  and  in- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

sects  upon  which  it  fed.  The  old  chief  secured  a 
number  of  them  at  different  times,  and  the  party 
found  them  to  be  most  excellent  eating. 

Then  there  were  the  innumerable  feathered 
folk  with  which  the  forest  teemed,  and  upon 
which  they  drew  for  further  additions  to  their 
larder.  Most  important  among  these  were  the 
many  varieties  of  pigeons,  especially  the  beauti- 
ful crowned  pigeons,  the  largest  of  their  kind, 
often  weighing  more  than  three  pounds  each. 

Near  one  of  their  camping  places  Mildred  dis- 
covered a  bed  of  wild  strawberries,  which  were 
of  fair  size  and  a  most  delicious  flavor.  She 
called  the  lads  to  her  aid,  and  the  trio  easily 
secured  a  number  of  quarts  of  the  luscious  fruit. 
A  part  of  these  furnished  a  pleasing  addition  to 
their  evening  meal,  while  the  remainder,  packed 
in  grass  baskets  of  Koloka's  make,  were  carried 
with  them  for  future  use. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day  the  current 
of  the  river,  which,  while  often  swift,  had  hith- 
erto been  smooth,  became  more  turbulent,  and 
was  soon  boiling  and  seething  among  £he  bould- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

ers  which  lined  its  bed  at  this  point.  The  hand- 
ling of  the  canoe  now  became  difficult,  and  as 
the  speed  continued  to  increase  the  faces  of  the 
greater  part  of  the  voyagers  grew  grave. 

Semessi  alone  seemed  undisturbed  by  the  dan- 
ger, and  wielded  his  paddle  with  consummate 
skill.  A  half  hour's  progress  through  the  rapids 
brought  them  once  more  to  quieter  waters,  and 
just  before  nightfall  the  stream  emerged  into  a 
level  plain,  where  it  flowed  placidly  on  between 
tree-lined  banks. 

The  current  now  became  slow  and  sluggish,  so 
that  both  paddles  were  called  into  use,  and  even 
then  the  advance  was  at  a  much  slower  rate  than 
while  among  the  hills.  That  night  they  were 
able  to  land  as  usual  upon  the  river  shore  of 
their  camp ;  but  on  the  next  the  banks  on  either 
hand  were  low  and  marshy.  The  party  were 
therefore  compelled  to  spend  the  hours  of  dark- 
ness in  the  canoe,  which  was  secured  to  a  par- 
tially submerged  log  some  distance  out  in  the 
stream.  So  narrow  and  cramped  were  their 
quarters  that  there  was  little  rest  for  any  one, 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

and  as  soon  as  the  first  glimmerings  of  dawn 
were  at  hand  they  started  onward. 

The  third  day  they  were  more  fortunate,  for 
just  at  evening  they  reached  an  opening  in  the 
forest,  while  the  shore  rose  to  a  considerable 
height  from  the  water's  edge.  Here  they  stop- 
ped for  the  night,  and  here  it  was  that  the  boys 
met  with  an  adventure  which  came  near  termi- 
nating in  disaster. 

When  the  camp  was  nearly  completed  Harry 
and  Leigh  took  their  bows  and  arrows,  and 
crossing  the  open  space,  entered  the  forest  be- 
yond in  search  of  beast  or  fowl  for  the  coming 
meal.  They  had  advanced  but  a  short  distance 
among  the  trees,  when  their  attention  was  at- 
tracted by  a  slight  noise,  as  of  some  animal  feed- 
ing among  the  undergrowth  off  to  the  right. 
Cautiously  moving  nearer  they  were  at  length 
able  to  make  out  a  large  wild  pig,  rooting  among 
the  low  bushes. 

Neither  of  the  lads  stopped  to  think  that  the 
creature  might  prove  to  be  a  dangerous  foe  if 
wounded.  To  them  it  was  simply  a  pig,  and 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

therefore  a  most  desirable  addition  to  their  bill 
of  fare.  So  taking  as  careful  an  aim  as  the  sur- 
roundings and  the  growing  dusk  would  permit, 
they  let  fly  their  arrows  together. 

The  shafts  struck  the  animal  in  the  side,  and, 
not  far  apart,  but  did  not  inflict  a  serious  wound. 
They  did  serve,  however,  to  arouse  the  fury  of 
the  beast,  and  turning,  he  rushed  towards  the 
young  sportsmen,  grunting  and  snapping  his 
jaws  savagely.  It  was  then  that  they  saw  the 
ugly  tusks  with  which  he  was  armed,  and  real- 
ized their  own  folly  in  attacking  him  with  the 
small  weapons  which  they  possessed. 

There  was  but  one  thing  to  be  done,  since  the 
trees  were  too  large  for  climbing,  and  that  was 
to  make  a  speedy  retreat.  This  the  youths  im- 
mediately proceeded  to  do.  But  their  antagon- 
ist proved  to  be  of  greater  speed  than  they,  so 
that  they  soon  found  themselves  compelled  to 
make  a  stand.  Harrie  turned  first,  and  dis- 
charged his  second  arrow  full  in  the  pig's  face. 

It  glanced  off,  however,  inflicting  simply  a 
skin  wound.  Leigh  then  shot  his  shaft,  which 

-205- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

passed  through  the  fleshy  part  of  the  face,  but 
did  no  serious  injury.  The  animal  was  now 
close  upon  them,  and  it  was  only  by  leaping 
quickly  to  one  side  that  the  lads  saved  them- 
selves from  his  charge. 

Their  assailant  rushed  past,  but  turned  im- 
mediately, to  dash  back  towards  Leigh,  who 
stood  somewhat  nearer  than  his  companion. 
Harrie  fitted  his  last  arrow  to  the  string,  and 
as  the  pig  came  up,  sent  it  with  great  force  and 
precision.  It  struck  just  behind  the  foreleg,  and, 
penetrating  the  thick  hide,  reached  the  heart. 
With  a  last  defiant  squeal  the  beast  dropped  to 
the  ground,  lifeless. 

'  *  My,  but  that  was  a  close  call ! ' '  Leigh  cried 
as  his  friend  hastened  up.  "I  did  not  have  any 
more  arrows,  and  if  you  had  missed  the  old  fel- 
low, he  would  have  made  short  work  of  me,  I  'm 
afraid." 

' '  It  will  teach  us  not  to  attack  such  big  game 
with  such  ineffective  weapons  another  time," 
Harrie  made  answer. 

"Yes,"  was  the  response.    "But  let  us  drag 

-206- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

this  chap  back  to  camp.  He'll  make  us  several 
meals,  unless  I  'm  greatly  mistaken. ' ' 

Each  seized  the  carcass  by  one  of  its  legs,  and 
so,  dragging  it  behind  them,  they  returned  to 
their  "companions.  There  were  many  exclama- 
tions of  surprise  over  the  capture,  and  also  a 
few  words  of  warning  from  Dr.  Thornton  when 
he  heard  the  story  the  lads  had  to  tell.  The  flesh 
proved,  as  they  had  anticipated,  to  be  very  pal- 
atable, and  provided  them  with  food  for  several 
days,  although  they  discarded  all  but  the  choic- 
est portions. 

It  was  on  the  eighth  morning  after  their  pas- 
sage of  the  falls  that  the  voyagers,  rounding  a 
point  of  land  which  jutted  far  out  into  the 
stream,  found  themselves  upon  a  large  lake, 
whose  waters  stretched  away  to  the  east  and 
south  to  such  a  distance  that  the  farther  shore 
was  but  dimly  discernible.  The  two  lads,  who 
were  wielding  the  paddles,  stopped  in  amaze- 
ment, allowing  the  canoe  to  drift  unhindered, 
while  all  gazed  in  admiration  at  the  broad  ex- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

panse  of  water.  After  a  moment  the  physician 
turned  to  the  chief,  inquiring : 

"Do  you  know  anything  about  this  lake,  Sem- 
essi?" 

"No,"  was  the  brief  response.  "Never  saw 
before." 

' '  Then  of  course  you  have  no  idea  of  the  di- 
rection in  which  we  must  go  to  find  its  outlet?" 
the  gentleman  continued. 

The  native  shook  his  head  silently. 

"It's  rather  a  perplexing  problem  for  us,  to 
tell  where  it  is  best  for  us  to  go, ' '  his  questioner 
said  slowly. 

' '  Why  so  I "  asked  Leigh.  ' '  Can  we  not  skirt 
the  shore,  and  thus  be  sure  of  finding  the  point 
where  the  stream  leaves  ? ' ' 

"Certainly,"  was  the  reply.  "But  you  can  see 
for  yourself  how  large  the  lake  is,  ancj  can  un- 
derstand that  it  might  take  us  weeks  to  accom- 
plish our  purpose." 

"Why  not  proceed  directly  to  the  south 
shore?"  suggested  Harrie. 

"For  what  reason?"  his  father  questioned. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"Because  it  seems  to  me  that  we  shall  be 
more  likely  to  find  the  outlet  there  than  any- 
where else, ' '  the  lad  responded. 

"Perhaps  you  are  right,"  Dr.  Thornton  re- 
marked thoughtfully.  "It  is  hardly  probable 
that  the  stream  makes  its  exit  to  the  north  at  any 
rate." 

"Exactly,"  the  boy  went  on,  "while  there  is 
every  reason  for  believing  that  it  would  leave 
to  the  south  or  southeast.  Or  so  it  seems  to  me. '  ' 

"We  can  lose  very  little  time  by  crossing  to 
the  other  shore  and  beginning  there,"  Mildred 
put  in.  "Why  not  do  so?" 

1 '  We  will, ' '  the  physician  said,  decisively. ' '  It 
is  certainly  the  best  plan. ' ' 

The  lads  dipped  their  blades  once  more,  and 
the  little  craft  moved  slowly  forward,  the  course 
being  shaped  by  the  compass  attached  to 
Leigh's  watch  chain.  Perhaps  a  mile  had  been 
covered,  when  Mildred,  who  was  gazing  back 
towards  the  receding  shore,  exclaimed  in  a  tone 
of  alarm: 

"See!    Yonder  is  a  canoe  full  of  natives!" 

-209— 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

Her  companions  turned  quickly  and  saw  to 
their  consternation  that  a  large  boat  filled  with 
savages  had  left  the  land  and  was  pulling  out 
into  the  lake.  It  was  hardly  more  than  a  half 
mile  away,  and  apparently  headed  directly 
towards  them. 

"I  wonder  if  they  have  seen  us!"  Harrie 
questioned  anxiously. 

* '  Possibly  not, ' '  his  father  answered.  ' ;  They 
may  be  simply  coming  out  for  fish.  * ' 

*  *  In  either,  case  we  must  get  away  from  here 
at  once,"  the  boy  declared.  "Do  your  best, 
Leigh, ' '  he  added  as  they  fell  to  work. 

The  canoe  made  good  progress  under  their 
vigorous  strokes.  For  some  time  it  was  impos- 
sible to  tell  whether  the  natives  were  in  pursuit, 
or  had  simply  chanced  to  be  coming  towards 
them.  Within  the  first  fifteen  minutes,  how- 
ever, all  doubt  was  dispelled.  That  the  fugi- 
tives had  been  seen,  and  that  the  tribesmen  had 
given  chase  was  shown  by  the  efforts  the  latter 
made  to  overtake  the  fleeing  craft. 

Slowly  but  surely  the  pursuers  drew  nearer 

—210- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

their  prey.  Soon  they  were  close  enough  for 
the  Americans  to  see  that  there  were  eight  of 
the  natives.  Six  were  propelling  the  canoe  with 
their  paddles,  while  the  other  two  held  their 
weapons  in  their  hands. 

As  they  came  within  bow-shot  these  two  men 
let  fly  their  arrows,  which  went  wide  of  their 
mark.  A  terrific  howl  of  rage  went  up  from 
the  band,  while  those  at  the  paddles  redoubled 
their  efforts.  Harrie  and  Leigh  were  already 
putting  forth  their  utmost  endeavor,  but  their 
boat  was  heavily  loaded,  and  there  were  but  two 
of  them,  against  three  times  that  number  wlio 
were  urging  on  the  larger  craft. 

After  a  brief  interval  the  pursuers  shot  again, 
and  this  time  came  near  to  hitting  the  canoe. 
Semessi,  who  was  in  the  stern,  had  picked  up 
his  own  weapons,  and  sat  facing  the.  oncoming 
vessel  with  impassive  face.  Presently  he  raised 
his  bow  and  took  careful  aim.  The  light  shaft 
sped  true,  and  the  fellow  in  the  bow  of  the  other 
boat  tumbled  over  backwards,  pierced  through 
the  throat. 

-211- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

His  fall  threw  his  comrades  into  a  momentary 
confusion,  and  they  ceased  paddling  while  they 
bent  over  the  injured  man.  This  allowed  the 
fugitives  to  make  a  considerable  gain.  But  the 
natives  quickly  resumed  the  chase,  and  pressed 
on  with  increased  speed.  Again  they  drew 
near  enough  for  a  shot,  and  their  arrows 
whistled  by  uncomfortably  close  to  the  heads  of 
Dr.  Thornton  and  his  companions. 

Once  more  Semessi  let  fly  at  the  enemy,  and 
with  equal  success,  for  a  second  victim  fell 
before  his  shaft.  The  pursuing  canoe  imme- 
diately came  to  a  halt  and  its  occupants  seemed 
to  be  holding  a  consultation.  Then  they  came 
on  at  a  speed  which  quickly  regained  all  they 
had  lost  by  the  delay,  and  lessened  the  distance 
between  the  two  craft  to  an  alarming  degree. 
They  theci  laid  aside  their  paddles,  and,  picking 
up  their  weapons,  all  six  discharged  their 
arrows  simultaneously. 

It  was  a  most  disastrous  volley  for  the  fugi- 
tives. Three  of  the  missiles  fell  short ;  a  fourth 
struck  the  paddle  which  Harrie  held,  knocking 
-212- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

it  from  his  grasp ;  another  lodged  in  the  side  of 
the  boat;  while  the  sixth  pierced  old  Kol oka's 
shoulder. 


CHAPTEE  II. 

A  SAD  EXPERIENCE. 

DESPEBATE  as  the  situation  seemed  at  this  mo- 
ment, the  little  party  did  not  give  up  their  strug- 
gle. Semessi  had  already  strung  another 
arrow,  while  Mildred  and  Dr.  Thornton  picked 
up  the  two  unused  bows  from  the  bottom  of  the 
boat,  and  made  ready  to  shoot.  The  three  shafts 
must  have  been  heaven-directed,  for  all  were 
effective.  The  old  chief's  lodged,  as  each  of  his 
others  had  done,  in  the  throat  of  his  victim ;  the 
girl's  sped  straight  to  the  eye  of  another;  and 
the  physician's  quivered  in  the  breast  of  a 
third. 

Meanwhile  Harrie  had  recovered  his  paddle, 
and  the  canoe  again  sped  forward.  This  time 
the  natives  made  no  attempt  to  resume  the 

-214- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

chase.  Apparently  they  had  had  all  the  fight- 
ing they  cared  for.  But  three  of  their  number 
remained  uninjured,  while  two  at  least  were 
seriously  wounded,  and  they  slowly  withdrew, 
allowing  the  fugitives  to  escape  unhindered. 

When  the  fleeing  craft  had  covered  some  dis- 
tance, and  Dr.  Thornton  perceived  that  the  pur- 
suers had  really  abandoned  the  attack,  he 
ordered  the  lads  to  cease  paddling  while  he  at- 
tended to  Koloka's  wound.  The  old  woman 
had  borne  her  injury  without  a  murmur,  and 
now  submitted  herself  readily  to  the  gentle- 
man's ministrations.  He  found  that  the  weapon 
was  firmly  embedded  in  the  flesh,  and  resisted 
all  his  efforts  to  withdraw  it.  Turning,  there- 
fore, to  Mildred,  he  said : 

' '  Ask  Koloka  if  she  can  bear  the  pain  of  hav- 
ing the  shaft  cut  out?  There's  no  other  way, 
for  it  has  penetrated  beyond  the  head, which  I'm 
afraid  might  come  off  in  the  wound  should  I  at- 
tempt to  pull  it  out.  Unfortunately  I  have 
nothing  but  my  penknife,  and  I  shall  probably 
cause  her  considerable  pain." 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

The  girl  explained  the  situation  to  her  old) 
friend,  who  readily  assented  to  the  suggested 
arrangement.  Then  the  physician  drew  from1 
his  pocket  the  small  knife  which,  through  all  his 
wanderings  he  had  managed  to  keep,  and,  after 
carefully  cleansing  the  blade,  proceeded  to 
make  a  number  of  incisions  around  the  arrow. 
This  enabled  him  to  withdraw  it  from  the 
shoulder,  and  he  held  it  out  for  the  inspection 
of  Semessi. 

The  head  was  formed  of  a  long,  slender  bit  of 
bone,  sharp  as  a  needle.  This  was  secured  to 
the  shaft  by  a  wrapping  of  fine  twine,  which 
was  in  turn  covered  with  a  coating  of  bluish- 
colored  gum.  No  sooner  had  Koloka  seen  this 
weapon  than  she  gave  a  shriek  of  fear,  and  be- 
gan to  sob  hysterically. 

Dr.  Thornton  glanced  in  some  surprise  at  the 
chief,  as  though  asking  an  explanation  of  his 
patient's  conduct.  The  native  took  the  out- 
stretched arrow  gravely,  but  said  nothing.  So 
the  gentleman  appealed  to  Mildred,  who  an- 
swered, soberly  enough. 

—216— 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"It  is  a  poisoned  arrow,  and  Koloka  is  badly 
frightened.  The  natives  believe  that  it  is  sure 
death  if  one  enters  the  flesh." 

The  physician  gave  a  low  exclamation  of  dis- 
may, and  turned  again  to  the  injured  shoulder. 
He  examined  the  flesh  carefully,  removing  sev- 
eral fine  particles  of  bone  which  had  broken  off 
from  the  head  of  the  arrow,  and  washed  the 
wound  with  the  clear  lake  water.  Then  he  said : 

"I  can  see  no  reason  why  there  should  be  fatal 
results.  The  hurt  has  bled  freely,  and  I  have 
thoroughly  cleansed  it.  I  do  not  believe  that 
any  poison  from  the  weapon  has  entered  the 
blood,  though  had  the  head  remained  in  the 
flesh  it  could  easily  have  caused  a  serious  sore. 
Tell  Koloka  not  to  be  alarmed,  she  will  recover 
in  a  short  time.  But  I  must  have  something 
with  which  to  bind  up  the  shoulder. ' ' 

Nothing  could  be  found  which  would  serve  the 
purpose  better  than  a  piece  of  the  old  woman's 
grass  petticoat.  With  this  a  rude  bandage  was 
arranged,  and  then  the  trip  was  resumed. 

It    was    an    anxious    party,    however,    who 

-217- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

scanned  the  southern  lake  shore  as  they  drew 
near.  Like  the  one  from  which  they  came,  it 
was  covered  with  a  dense  forest  growth,  which 
rose,  silent  and  sombre,  directly  from  the 
water's  edge.  Whether  or  not  there  lurked 
among  the  shadows  there  those  who  would  greet 
the  newcomers  with  the  winged  messengers  of 
death,  was  the  question  uppermost  in  every 
mind  as  the  canoe  slowly  and  cautiously  ap- 
proached the  land. 

Not  a  sound  broke  the  stillness  save  the  dip 
of  the  paddles  and  the  soft  ripple  of  the  water 
as  the  craft  moved  forward.  Nowhere  were 
there  signs  of  the  dreaded  natives,  and  pres 
ently  the  little  vessel  reached  the  shore.  It  was 
now  late  in  the  afternoon  and  as  the  lads  ceased 
paddling  the  boat  lay  in  the  long  shadows  cast 
by  the  lofty  tree  trunks  far  out  over  the  placid 
surface  of  the  lake,  which  lay  like  a  silver  mir- 
ror in  its  setting  of  deepest  green. 

The  forest  and  the  shore  ended  abruptly  to- 
gether; there  was  no  beach;  thick  masses  of 
undergrowth  filled  the  spaces  between  the  taller 

-218- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

trees ;  nowhere  was  there  a  spot  where  human 
foot  could  find  a  landing.  So,  after  a  low- 
toned  conversation,  progress  was  resumed,  the 
canoe  being  headed  toward  the  east,  whither  the 
shore  line  extended  in  a  long,  broken  curve. 
They  kept  well  within  the  shadows,  and  pro- 
ceeded with  the  utmost  caution.  Who  could  tell 
but  that  a  native  village  lay  beyond  the  next 
bend  of  the  shore? 

An  hour  went  by.  The  boat  still  crept  on, 
around  one  wooded  point  after  another,  without 
coming  upon  the  clustered  huts  which  the  party 
dreaded,  yet  expected  to  see.  It  was  beginning 
to  be  a  question  whether  a  suitable  camping 
place  could  be  found.  At  last,  when  darkness 
was  almost  at  hand,  a  narrow  inlet  opened  be- 
fore them,  and  into  it  the  wanderers  turned.  A 
short  distance  up  its  winding  course  they  came 
to  the  spot  they  were  seeking. 

Upon  the  right  there  was  a  small,  open  glade, 
perhaps  a  half  acre  in  extent.  A  few  rods 
farther  on  the  creek  came  to  an  abrupt  end.  On 
all  sides  the  densest  of  thickets  came  to  the 

-219- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

water's  edge,  cutting  off  all  approach  save  by 
the  tortuous  passage  from  the  lake.  Thus  a 
secure  and  comfortable  refuge  was  afforded  the 
party  where  they  might  rest  in  safety. 

Such  arrangements  as  could  be  made  for  the 
night  were  speedily  attended  to,  and  all  were 
soon  at  rest.  Sunrise  found  them  astir,  how- 
ever, and  preparing  to  continue  their  journey. 
They  had  embarked,  and  were  already  near  ing 
the  entrance  of  the  inlet,  when  Harrie  raised  a 
warning  hand.  The  canoe  came  to  a  standstill, 
while  all  listened  eagerly,  to  hear  the  sound  of 
human  voices,  faint  and  far  away,  but  growing 
louder  and  clearer. 

The  lads  turned  the  bow  of  the  boat  shore- 
ward, and  ran  in  under  the  overhanging  bows 
of  a  nearby  tree.  Here  they  were  screened 
from  observation,  but  had  a  view  of  the  part  of 
the  lake  in  their  immediate  neighborhood. 

The  voices  were  now  near  at  hand,  and  the 
listeners  could  distinguish  the  discordant,  wail- 
ing cries  of  women.  Louder  grew  the  sounds 
of  grief,  and  presently  a  canoe,  propelled  by 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

two  men,  came  in  sight.  In  the  center  of  the 
craft  lay  the  outstretched  body  of  a  woman, 
strewn  with  garlands  of  wild  flowers.  Behind 
this  first  canoe  came  several  others,  at  regular 
intervals,  each  one  filled  with  natives,  both  men 
and  women.  All  were  painted  a  dull  black- 
face, hands,  arms,  lower  limbs,  all  visible  por- 
tions of  the  body  were  alike  smeared  with  the 
greasy-looking  substance —and  the  females 
were  giving  vent  to  their  sorrow  in  loud  and 
vehement  weeping. 

With  slow  and  measured  strokes  of  the  pad- 
dles the  little  fleet  passed  out  of  view,  and  the 
hideous  noises  died  away  in  the  distance. 

"What  was  that— a  funeral  procession1?" 
Leigh  asked. 

Mildred  nodded.  "They  were  taking  the 
woman  back  to  her  native  village  for  burial," 
she  explained. 

"I  don't  understand,"  the  lad  said  in  a  puz- 
zled tone. 

"Why,  when  a  tribe  is  large,  it  sometimes 
contains  a  number  of  hamlets.  A  man  who 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

lives  in  one  may  marry  a  woman  belonging  to 
another.  When  the  wife  dies,  she  is  taken  back 
to  her  birthplace  to  be  buried. ' ' 

There  was  a  brief  interval  of  silence,  broken 
at  length  by  Dr.  Thornton. 

"It  will  hardly  be  safe  for  us  to  venture  out 
upon  the  lake  for  the  present, ' '  he  remarked. 

"How  so?"  Leigh  inquired. 

"Because  it  is  evident  that  there  is  a  town 
on  either  side  of  us,"  the  gentleman  answered. 
* '  It  would  only  mean  discovery  were  we  to  con- 
tinue our  voyage  during  the  day. ' ' 

"What  can  we  do,  then?"  was  the  question. 

"We  must  wait  until  night,"  replied  the 
Doctor. 

"But  will  we  not  run  the  risk  of  passing  the 
outlet  in  the  darkness  ? ' '  Harrie  interposed. 

"There  will  be  that  danger,"  his  father  ad- 
mitted, "though  even  that  is  preferable  to  being 
taken  prisoners  again." 

"We  might  as  well  be  captured  as  to  go  on 
around  this  lake  forever,"  the  youth  objected. 

"I  think  you   overestimate   the   chances   of 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

passing  the  outlet,"  the  physician  returned. 
"The  outflow  from  a  body  of  water  so  large  as 
this  would  naturally  be  a  river  of  considerable 
volume,  which  we  could  not  easily  overlook, 
even  in  the  night." 

During  the  conversation  the  canoe  had  re- 
turned to  the  camping  ground,  and  all  now  dis- 
embarked. An  hour  or  two  passed  quietly,  and 
then  the  lads  began  to  chafe  under  the  restraint 
of  their  narrow  quarters.  After  walking  aim- 
lessly up  and  down  the  little  opening  for  a  num- 
ber of  times,  Harrie  took  a  seat  upon  the  ground 
and  proceeded  to  manufacture,  from  a  small, 
threadlike  vine  and  a  number  of  large  thorns,  a 
rude  fishing  line.  He  then  provided  himself 
with  several  fat  worms,  which  he  found  by  over- 
turning the  leafy  soil  at  the  edge  of  the  thicket, 
and,  entering  the  canoe,  pushed  out  from  the 
shore  to  try  his  luck. 

Leigh  watched  these  movements  with  inter- 
ested eyes,  and  when  he  saw  his  friend  pull  in 
a  good-sizd  fish,  he  speeedily  set  to  work  to 
emulate  his  example.  As  soon  as  his  tackle  was 

-223- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

completed  he  called  to  Harrie  to  come  ashore 
and  take  him  in.  The  request  was  complied 
with,  and  for  several  hours  the  sport  continued, 
until  half  a  hundred  of  the  finny  tribe  were 
lying  in  the  bottom  of  the  canoe. 

When  at  length  the  lads  tired  of  the  amuse- 
ment all  except  the  largest  were  returned  to 
their  native  element,  leaving  a  score  or  more  for 
the  use  of  the  voyagers.  A  fire  was  kindled, 
though  with  some  misgivings,  and  the  savory 
odor  of  the  cooking  fish  soon  pervaded  the 
glade,  adding  to  the  appetites  which  the  party 
already  possessed. 

When  evening  came,  after  what  seemed  an  in- 
terminable day,  the  wanderers  once  more  em- 
barked, and  set  forth  on  their  perilous  venture. 
Leaving  the  little  creek  which  had  afforded 
them  so  kindly  a  shelter,  they  turned  to  the  east, 
as  the  direction  in  which  they  would  be  most 
likely  tc  find  the  outlet  of  the  lake. 

The  night  was  dark  and  cloudy;  a  thin  mist 
hung  over  the  water;  and  the  bordering  trees 
rose  in  ghostly  silence  from  the  rnirrorlike  ex- 

-224- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

panse.  The  canoe  was  held  close  in  to  the  shore, 
and  the  advance  was  in  absolute  quiet.  So  care- 
fully did  the  lads  dip  their  paddles  that  scarcely 
a  ripple  broke  the  stillness. 

It  was  about  midnight  that  the  barking  of  a 
dog  was  borne  to  their  ears  from  some  point  not 
far  ahead.  Semessi  at  once  announced  that  a 
village  was  near  at  hand,  and  that  they  must 
turn  out  into  the  lake.  His  advice  was  followed, 
and  not  until  they  believed  themselves  well  be- 
yond the  danger  did  they  return  to  the  vicinity 
of  the  shore  again. 

As  dawn  began  to  tinge  the  horizon  with 
color  the  canoe  was  directed  up  a  small  cove 
which  seemed  to  promise  protection  during  the 
day.  As  the  light  increased,  however,  the  voy- 
agers found  that,  though  safe  from  view  of 
passing  boats  outside ,  there  was  no  landing 
place,  and  they  were  therefore  compelled  to 
pass  the  day  in  the  canoe. 

When  darkness  again  shut  down  the  journey 
was  resumed,  and  continued  throughout  the 
night  without  event  other  than  the  successful 

-225- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

passing  of  two  or  three  small  villages.  Day 
found  them  snugly  ensconced  in  a  tiny  inlet, 
where  a  knoll,  bare  of  trees  and  carpeted  with 
soft  grass,  sloped  upward  from  the  water. 

Here  they  were  destined  to  remain  some  days. 
Towards  evening  Dr.  Thornton  noticed  a 
strange  expression  on  Koloka's  face,  and  after 
watching  her  keenly  for  several  moments,  he 
abruptly  inquired  if  she  felt  ill. 

For  an  instant. the  old  woman  hesitated,  and 
then  she  answered  in  the  affirmative,  adding : 

'  *  It  is  the  poisoned  arrow. ' ' 

The  physician  looked  grave,  but  made  minute 
inquiries,  through  Mildred,  as  to  the  exact 
symptoms  which  had  made  themselves  felt.  He 
found  that  there  was  a  soreness  and  stiffness 
about  the  muscles  of  the  jaw,  and  extending 
down  into  the  neck.  When  he  had  completed 
his  examination  he  rose  silently  and  beckoned 
Mildred  to  come  one  side  with  him. 

"I'm  afraid  your  friend  is  gding  to  be  seri- 
ously ill, ' '  he  began  in  a  low  tone.  * '  Whether  it 
is  a  result  of  the  poison  upon  the  arrow-head, 

-226- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

or  cornes  simply  from  the  opportunity  offered  by 
the  wound  for  the  lodgment  of  the  germs,  I  can 
not  say,  but  Koloka  certainly  has  pronounced 
symptoms  of  tetanus,  or  lockjaw.  I  am  power- 
less to  help  her,  though  if  I  had  remedies  at 
hand  I  might  relieve  her  sufferings  somewhat. 
As  it  is,  I  believe  it  best  to  warn  you  to  expect 
the  worst. ' ' 

The  girl  nodded  silently,  but  made  no  verbal 
reply. 

Before  nightfall  the  condition  of  the  native 
woman  had  become  alarming.  The  jaws  be- 
came locked,  there  were  constant  spasms  of  the 
muscles  in  the  face  and  limbs.  As  the  severity 
of  the  attack  increased,  the  body  became  bent 
nearly  double,  and  the  temperature  rose  to  a 
high  degree. 

It  was  a  heart-rending  sight,  and  to  think  that 
they  must  stand  helpless  while  their  friend  suf- 
fered before  their  eyes  increased  the  sorrow  of 
each  member  of  the  little  group.  Even  Semessi, 
stern  and  self-possessed  as  he  ordinarily  was, 
showed  the  effects  of  the  emotion  which  strove 

-227- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

within  him.  In  the  intervals  between  the 
spasms  Koloka  turned  her  eyes  pleadingly  to- 
wards her  young  mistress's  face,  as  though  in- 
treating  her  to  relieve  the  agony. 

Thus  the  night  and  the  following  day  passed. 
The  contortions  became  more  violent  and  of 
greater  frequency,  while  it  was  plain  that 
Koloka 's  strength  was  fast  failing  under  the 
terrible,  strain.  The  second  night  came  and 
went,  and  still  the  anxious  watchers  waited  in 
mute  helplessness.  Just  at  dawn  the  end  came. 
With  a  last  convulsive  shudder  the  faithful  soul 
took  its  flight  from  the  bent  and  rigid  body. 

Worn  out  by  her  long  vigils  and  the  suffer- 
ings she  had  witnessed,  Mildred  gave  way  to 
passionate  weeping,  while  even  the  lads  could 
not  restrain  the  tears  which  rose  unbidden  to 
their  eyes. 

Back  from  the  shore,  near  the  edge  of  the  for- 
est, a  shallow  grave  was  dug,  and  lined  with 
leaves.  Tenderly  they  laid  the  silent  form 
within  it,  and,  after  a  brief  prayer  by  the  phy- 
sician, covered  it  over  with  the  soft  brown  earth. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

As  they  turned  sadly  away  their  minds  were 
filled  with  thoughts  of  the  unknown  dangers 
which  still  awaited  them,  and  each  one  won- 
dered if  he,  too,  was  to  find  a  grave  in  the 
wilds. 


CHAPTER  III. 

A.  SERIOUS  MISHAP. 

IT  WAS  not  far  from  noon  when  the  wanderers 
again  seated  themselves  upon  the  bank  of  the 
stream.  Deeming  it  wiser  to  turn  the  minds  of 
his  companions  from  the  sad  scenes  through 
which  they  had  just  been  passing,  Dr.  Thornton 
at  once  brought  up  the  subject  of  their  next 
move.  During  the  preceding  night  Semessi  had 
taken  the  canoe  and  gone  on  a  scouting  trip 
along  the  shore  to  the  east.  Upon  his  return  he 
had  informed  .the  physician  that  he  had  dis- 
covered the  outlet  for  which  they  were  looking. 
None  of  the  other  members  of  the  party  were 
aware  of  this  fact,  however. 

The  gentleman  now  made  known  this  bit  of 
information  by  saying : 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"Semessi  has  found  the  point  where  the  river 
leaves  the  lake." 

" Where  is  it?  How  far  away?"  cried  the 
lads  eagerly,  while  Mildred  turned  an  inter- 
ested face  towards  him. 

"It  is  not  more  than  a  three  hours'  voyage  in 
the  canoe,"  was  the  reply. 

"How  did  he  find  it?"  Leigh  asked. 

"By  looking  for  it,"  Dr.  Thornton  answered 
with  a  smile;  then  he  explained  the  old  chief's 
reconnoitering  excursion  and  its  outcome. 

"There  is  one  difficulty  in  the  way  of  our 
escape,  however, ' '  he  added. 

"What  is  that!"  questioned  Harrie. 

"The  fact  that  there  is  a  large  village  be- 
tween us  and  the  river,  and  a  second  at  the  point 
where  the  stream  takes  its  departure." 

"Whew!"  ejaculated  Leigh  with  a  blank  look 
"That  makes  it  rather  dangerous,  doesn't  it?" 

* '  No  more  so  than  all  our  canoe  trips  since  we 
reached  the  lake,"  his  comrade  rejoined.  "If 
we  use  ordinary  care  we  ought  to  be  able  to  pass 
these  two  towns  in  safety." 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"But  either  of  them  is  larger  than  any  we 
have  met  with  before,  according  to  Semessi's 
report,"  his  father  interposed,  "and  that  cer- 
tainly increases  the  risk." 

"Well,  since  we've  got  to  get  by  them,  I  don't 
see  that  discussion  will  do  us  any  good, ' '  Harrie 
remarked.  "All  we  can  do  is  to  go  ahead  and 
make  the  best  of  an  awkward  situation." 

"That  is  very  true,"  the  physician  assented, 
and  then  the  conversation  turned  to  other 
topics. 

As  the  day  drew  to  a  close  the  sky  became 
overcast,  a  brisk  breeze  sprang  up,  and,  by  the 
time  the  canoe  left  its  hiding  place,  a  fine  rain 
was  falling.  As  the  boat  turned  down  the 
coast  the  darkness  was  so  intense  that  the  party 
could  scarce  distinguish  the  outlines  of  the  for- 
est against  the  sky,  and  the  continual  lap,  lap  of 
the  waves  drowned  completely  the  dip  of  the 
paddles. 

"We  couldn't  have  had  a  better  night  for  our 
trip,"  Leigh  remarked  in  a  tone  of  satisfaction, 
as  he  and  Harrie  settled  to  their  work. 

-2?2- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"I'm  not  so  sure  about  that,"  the  other  re- 
turned doubtfully.  "To  my  mind  it  is  almost 
too  dark.  We'll  do  well  if  we  don't  miss  the 
outlet  in  this  gloom. ' ' 

And  within  the  next  hour  Leigh  had  cause  to 
come  to  the  same  conclusion.  Blacker  grew  the 
night,  until  the  little  party  in  the  canoe  could 
barely  see  one  another's  forms.  Twice  the 
craft  touched  the  bank  before  the  occupants 
realized  its  close  proximity.  They  proceeded 
at  a  veritable  snail's  pace,  feeling  their  way 
foot  by  foot,  yard  by  yard,  around  the  jutting 
points  of  land.  Several  times  they  were  tempted 
to  turn  back,  and  wait  for  more  favorable  con- 
ditions, but  still  they  pressed  on. 

It  was  nearly  three  hours  from  the  time  of 
their  start  when  the  bow  of  the  canoe  bumped 
into  what  seemed  a  regular  nest  of  poles,  rising 
out  of  the  water,  and  in  which  the  lads'  paddles 
became  involved.  Semessi  uttered  a  low  cry  of 
warning,  and  at  the  same  moment  the  barking 
of  a  dog  broke  forth,  apparently  directly  above 
their  heads.  The  alarm  thus  given  was  quickly 

-283-  •     ' 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

taken  up  by  other  animals,  until  a  loud  chorus 
of  yelps  and  barks  was  going  up  on  all  sides.   • 

"Good  gracious!"  Harrie  ejaculated  under 
his  breath,  as  he  struggled  to  release  his  paddle, 
which  had  caught  between  two  stakes,  "we  have 
run  right  into  the  middle  of  the  native  village !" 
His  surmise  was  in  a  measure  correct.  In  the 
darkness  and  storm  the  voyagers  had  blundered 
into  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  whose  houses 
were  built  upon  rude  stagings  raised  three  or 
four  feet  above  the  level  of  the  lake.  It  was 
among  the  uprights  supporting  one  of  these 
aquatic  residences  that  the  canoe  had  struck. 

1  'We  must  get  away  from  here,  and  quick, 
too,"  Dr.  Thornton  commanded  in  a  whisper. 
"The  whole  tribe  will  be  upon  us  in  another 
minute. ' ' 

Even  as  he  spoke  the  lads  succeeded  in  free- 
ing their  paddles,  and  began  to  back  their  craft 
away  from  the  dwelling,  whose  occupants  could 
be  heard  stirring  about  over  their  heads. 
Farther  away  a  canoe  was  bumping  against  the 


•  THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

poles  as  a  crowd  of  natives  took  their  places 
within  it. 

" Straight  out  into  the  lake,"  Harrie  mut- 
tered as  he  wielded  his  paddle  with  desperate 
strokes. 

Leigh  made  no  reply,  but  bent  to  his  work 
energetically.  Fortunately  the  very  darkness 
which  had  been  the  cause  of  their  predicament, 
now  aided  them  in  their  flight.  The  natives, 
though  confident  that  an.  enemy  was  near,  were 
not  able  to  locate  them  on  account  of  the  gloom 
and  the  storm,  whose  noises  completely  swal- 
lowed up  the  slight  sounds  given  forth  by  the 
fleeing  canoe.  Ten  minutes  of  brisk  work  car- 
ried the  fugitives  entirely  beyond  the  limits  of 
the  disturbance  their  blunder  had  created,  al- 
though the  barking  of  the  dogs  still  came  faintly 
to  their  ears. 

' '  My,  but  that  was  a  narrow  escape ! ' '  Harrie 
remarked  as  he  and  Leigh  paused  to  get  their 
breath.  "A  little  more  and  we  would  have 
been  captured." 

"And  all  because  it  was  too  dark,"  was  his 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

companion's  answer.  "You  were  right,  and  I 
was  wrong." 

"Come,  lads,  we  must  not  stay  here,"  Dr. 
Thornton  reminded  them.  "Let  us  push  on 
beyond  all  possible  chance  of  discovery. ' ' 

Changing,  their  course  to  one  which  was 
parallel  with  the  shore,  they  went  on  until  the 
scene  of  their  misadventure  lay  far  in  their 
rear.  Then  they  once  more  drew  near  the  for- 
est-lined bank.  It  was  somewhat  lighter  now, 
for  the  clouds  had  thinned  and  the  rain  had 
lessened.  They  could  even  distinguish  the  tree- 
tops  in  a  blurred  outline  against  the  sky. 
Progress  was  therefore  a  trifle  less  difficult,  and 
an  hour  later  they  approached  a  long  point 
which  jutted  straight  out  into  the  lake. 

"Wait,"  Semessi  said  when  he  saw  the  cape. 
"Village  'round  point.  Must  be  careful." 

The  lads  ceased  paddling,  while  the  Doctor 
inquired  in  a  low  tone: 

* '  Is  the  village  this  side  of  the  river,  or  across 
on  the  other  shore ! ' ' 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"This  side,"  the  chief  answered.  "Only  lit- 
tle way  off." 

"Then  we  must  circle  out  into  the  lake,  and 
run  down  close  to  the  other  bank, ' '  the  physician 
declared. 

"Yes,"  assented  the  native,  "that  right." 

The  canoe  again  moved  forward,  heading 
well  off  shore.  After  a  few  minutes  Seniessi 
touched  Harrie's  shoulder  softly. 

"Go  back  now,"  he  whispered. 

The  boy  changed  the  course  as  desired,  and 
soon  the  voyagers  were  aware  that  the  shore, 
instead  of  being  in  front  of  them,  as  they  had 
expected,  was  at  their  left,  and  Leigh  exclaimed 
in  a  subdued  voice : 

' '  We  are  in  the  river !    We  are  in  the  river ! ' ' 

"Boy,  keep  still,"  was  the  chief's  terse  re- 
mark, and  the  youth  suddenly  lapsed  into  quiet. 

The  moments  dragged  slowly  by,  while  the 
boat  steadily  advanced  down  stream.  The  town 
lay  some  distance  behind  them,  and  all  seemed 
going  well,  when  Dr.  Thornton  called  out  in  a 
sharp  whisper: 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"Hist!" 

Instantly  the  lads  held  their  blades  suspended 
in  mid-air,  while  all  listened  intently.  At  first 
nothing  could  be  heard  except  the  low  moaning 
of  the  wind  in  the  tree-tops,  but  presently  the 
soft,  regular  splash  of  paddles  became  audible, 
somewhere  in  advance  of  the  wanderers.  In 
breathless  silence  they  awaited  the  oncoming 
boat.  Misfortune  seemed  to  be  their  lot;  were 
they  to  be  discovered  after  all,  when  the  last 
danger  had  appeared  to  be  behind  them? 

The  steady  dip,  dip,  of  the  paddles  grew 
nearer  and  clearer.  Then  they  could  hear  the 
ripple  of  the  water  against  the  bow  of  the 
canoe,  and  they  knew  that  the  natives  were  close 
at  hand.  A  dark  shadow  loomed  up  against  the 
night  not  three  rods  to  the  right.  The  anxious 
watchers  could  just  make  out  five  indistinct 
forms,  and  then  the  apparition  faded  away  in 
the  gloom  from  which  it  had  come. 

For  a  long  time  the  party  sat  there  motion- 
less, scarce  daring  to  breathe.  At  length  the 
tension  relaxed  somewhat,  and  the  two  boys  re- 

•    -238- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

sumed  paddling.  But  not  a  word  was  spoken 
for  nearly  a  half  hour.  Then  Harrie  ex- 
claimed : 

"Well,  that  was  about  the  closest  call  we've 
had  yet !  It  was  bad  enough  when  we  ran  into 
the  village  back  yonder,  but  this  took  more 
nerve  out  of  me  than  that,  for  some  reason. ' ' 

"Indeed  it  was  a  very  trying  situation,"  his 
father  returned,  "and  one  that  might  easily 
have  resulted  disastrously.  One  thing  alone 
prevented  our  discovery." 

"What  was  that?"  Leigh  asked. 

"The  fact  that  we  were  between  the  natives 
and  the  shore, ' '  the  gentleman  answered.  ' '  The 
dark  background  of  the  trees  hindered  them 
from  seeing  us,  though  we  could  see  them. ' ' 

"I  wonder  how  many  more  adventures  we 
are  going  to  have  to-night,"  Harrie  remarked 
as  the  advance  was  resumed.  "It  seems  to  be 
a  most  eventful  time." 

"We  will  trust  that  these  disagreeable  hap- 
penings are  over  for  the  present,"  Dr.  Thorn- 
ton returned. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

And  his  wish  was  gratified.  During  the  re- 
mainder of  the  night  the  voyage  continued 
without  interruption.  The  new  day  found  them 
well  down  the  river,  which  had  now  become  a 
broad,  slow-moving  stream.  The  banks  on 
either  hand  were  low  and  marshy,  and  covered 
with  a  thick,  jungle-like  growth,  which  made 
camping  on  shore  an  impossibility.  For  some 
time  after  the  sun  rose  the  party  pushed  on, 
hoping  to  come  to  firmer  ground,  but  without 
success.  At  last  Harrie  said: 

"It's  no  use,  father,  we  must  not  keep  on  any 
farther.  There 's  no  knowing  how  soon  we  may 
come  upon  another  village.  We  will  have  to 
find  some  little  bend  in  the  shore,  behind  which 
we  can  hide  in  the  canoe  until  evening. ' ' 

"You  are  right,"  his  parent  rejoined.  "It 
will  be  rather  unpleasant  to  remain  in  the  boat 
all  day,  but  it  is  our  only  safe  course. ' ' 

Accordingly  the  craft  was  directed  into  a  tiny 
inlet,  barely  large  enough  to  contain  it,  but 
where  it  was  hidden  by  the  thick  foliage  from 
chance  passersby.  Here  they  staid  until  dark- 

-240- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

ness  again  made  it  prudent  for  them  to  con- 
tinue the  journey. 

The  second  morning  found  them  in  a  similar 
situation,  but  with  this  additional  discomfort— 
their  food  was  nearly  exhausted.  The  quantity 
brought  from  the  valley  had  been  small,  and 
though  they  had  added  to  it  by  hunting  previous 
to  their  arrival  at  the  lake,  their  sojourn  there 
had  reduced  their  provisions  to  scant  propor- 
tions. Unless  they  reached  open  land  very  soon 
they  would  be  reduced  to  the  extremity  of  eat- 
ing raw  fish,  for  they  still  possessed  the  lines 
manufactured  by  the  boys. 

It  was,  therefore,  with  deep  anxiety  that  they 
scanned  the  river  banks  as  the  third  night  drew 
to  a  close.  As  the  sun  rose,  scattering  the  light 
mist  which  hung  over  the  stream,  a  sigh  of  re- 
lief went  up  from  each  member  of  the  party. 
The  marsh  had  disappeared,  and  on  either  side 
the  shore  sloped  back  from  the  water  to  a  range 
of  low  hills  not  far  away.  The  forest  growth, 
too,  was  more  open,  there  was  less  underbrush, 
and  occasional  grassy  meadows  were  to  be  seen. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

A  suitable  place  for  camping  soon  presented 
itself,  and  the  wanderers  with  thankful  hearts 
set  foot  on  shore  once  more.     The  canoe  was 
drawn  up  among  the  trees,  where  prying  eyes 
would  not  be  likely  to  see  it,  and  a  fire  was 
started  in  a  glade  a  few  rods  back  from  the 
shore  where  a  spring  bubbled  up  beneath   a 
wide-spreading    tree.      Semessi    and    the    lads 
went  in  quest  of  game,  and  with  such  success 
that  they  were   soon   partaking   of   the   most 
hearty  meal  they  had  eaten  for  nearly  a  week. 
It  was  decided  to  remain  in  camp  for  a  day 
or  two,  in  order  to  take  a  brief  rest,  and  also 
to  accumulate  a  supply  of  food  to  carry  with 
them.    So  they  turned  hunters,  drying  the  sur- 
plus game  in  the  smoke  of  their  camp-fire.    By 
the  third  evening  all  preparations  had  been 
completed,  and  they  were  once  more  ready  to 
continue  their  trip  down  the  river. 

They  set  forth  in  excellent  spirits',  for  it 
seemed  that  the  greatest  dangers  had  been  met 
and  passed.  The  lads,  fresh  and  vigorous  after 
their  rest,  sent  the  canoe  forward  with  strong, 

-242- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

steady  strokes  which  promised  to  carry  them 
far  on  their  way  before  morning. 

Possibly  their  confident  spirit  made  them 
careless,  for  certainly  they  did  not  keep  their 
usual  sharp  lookout  ahead.  Had  they  done  so 
the  accident  which  befell  them  would  never 
have  occurred.  As  it  was  no  one  saw  the  half 
submerged  tree  top  which  lay  in  their  path,  un- 
til with  a  crash  the  boat  struck  forcibly  upon 
one  of  the  broken  branches,  staving  a  hole  in 
the  bow,  through  which  the  water  poured  in  a 
swift  stream. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE   HEAD   HUNTERS. 

So  QUICKLY  did  the  accident  happen  that,  al- 
most before  the  occupants  of  the  canoe  were 
aware  of  their  danger,  the  inrushing  waters 
swamped  their  craft,  which  sank  from  under 
them,  leaving  them  struggling  in  the  stream. 
Instinctively  they  all  struck  out  for  the  shore, 
dimly  visible  through  the  semi-darkness  a  few 
rods  away.  Dr.  Thornton  and  Harrie  came  to 
Mildred's  aid,  and  in  a  short  time  the  entire 
party  clambered  out  upon  the  bank. 

"If  we  aren't  a  parcel  of  block-heads !"  Leigh 
exclaimed  as  he  wrung  the  water  from  his  cloth- 
ing. "Why  didn't  we  have  our  wits  about  us 
enough  to  see  where  we  were  going?" 

"It's  easy  to  talk  now  the  damage  is  done," 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

Harrie  returned,  "but  it  won't  mend  the  canoe, 
nor  build  a  new  one.  So  what's  the  use  in 
grumbling!'-' 

"That's  right,  my  son,"  the  physician  com- 
mented. "Let  us  not  get  discouraged,  even 
though  the  misfortune  is  due  to  our  own  care- 
lessness. Another  time  we  shall  remember  to 
be  on  our  guard. ' ' 

"Did  we  save  anything  at  all?"  queried  the 
lad. 

"Here  bows  and  arrows,"  Semessi  said,  hold- 
ing out  two  of  the  former  and  a  half  dozen  of 
the  latter.  "Me  grab  'em  when  canoe  struck." 

"And  I  have  the  other  bow  in  my  hand,  I 
see,"  Dr.  Thornton  added,  "though  I  have  no 
recollection  of  picking  it  up." 

"Then  we  are  not  entirely  helpless,"  Harrie 
remarked  in  a  tone  of  satisfaction.  "With  the 
three  bows  we  are  sure  of  food,  for  we  can  eas- 
ily make  more  arrows." 

"But  our  fire  is  gone,"  Leigh  put  in  anS- 
iously.  "What  are  we  to  do  without  it?" 

Ever  since  the  physician  had  kindled  their 

-245- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

first  flame  with  one  of  his  precious  matches  at 
the  beginning  of  the  flight,  a  few  coals  had  been 
kept  smouldering  in  an  earthlined  box  at  the 
bow  of  the  canoe,  and  from  it  the  successive 
camp-fires  had  been  started.  When  the  boat 
went  down  this,  of  course,  was  lost. 

"I  still  have  a  few  matches  left,"  the  gentle- 
man returned,  ' '  and  fortunately  my  match-safe 
is  a  water-proof  one.  We  will  start  a  blaze  at 
once,  and  make  ourselves  comfortable  for  the 
night." 

Ten  minutes  later  the  cheery  flames  were 
sending  forth  their  grateful  warmth,  and  brush 
had  been  collected  for  a  rude  shack  into  whose 
shelter  Mildred  could  retire.  When  their  gar- 
ments had  become  dry,  the  entire  party 
stretched  themselves  upon  the  bare  earth  and 
were  soon  sleeping  soundly. 

It  was  broad  day  when  they  awoke,  lame  and 
stiff,  and  rekindled  the  fire  from  the  dying  em- 
bers. A  sally  into  the  forest  was  rewarded  by 
the  capture  of  three  small  birds,  which  fur- 
nished a  scanty  meal.  The  morning  was  spent 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

in  fashioning,  under  the  old  chief's  guidance, 
a  score  or  more  of  arrows,  rude  to  be  sure,  be- 
cause of  lack  of  tools  and  material,  yet  weapons 
which  were  to  be  of  great  assistance  in  keeping 
their  larder  supplied. 

The  two  lads  also  manufactured  a  couple  of 
rude  fishing  lines,  similar  to  those  they  had  used 
while  at  the  lake,  and  by  their  use  procured  a 
welcome  addition  to  their  dinner. 

As  they  sat  in  a  little  circle  upon  the  ground, 
working  on  the  arrows,  Leigh  inquired: 

"I  suppose  we  will  have  to  continue  our  jour- 
ney on  foot,  will  we  not!" 

11  There  is  no  other  way,"  Dr.  Thornton  an- 
swered. "We  have  no  tools  with  which  to  build 
a  canoe,  or  even  a  raft. ' ' 

"Will  you  follow  the  river,  or  strike  off  di- 
rectly towards  the  south?"  asked  the  lad. 

"I  am  in  favor  of  following  the  stream,"  the 
gentleman  returned.  "It  may  be  a  long  road, 
but  it  is  certainly  a  surer  one." 

"It  may  add  a  hundred  miles  to  our  trip, 
though,"  Leigh  objected. 

-247- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"Yes,"  Harrie  assented,  "but  we  are  sure  of 
passable  traveling  this  way,  while  if  we  go 
straight  to  the  south  we  may  run  in  with  moun- 
tains to  climb,  swamps  to  go  around,  or  rivers 
to  cross,  and  so  never  reach  the  coast  at  all. ' ' 

"What  do  you  think,  Semessi?"  and  the  phy- 
sician glanced  inquiringly  at  the  chief. 

"Best  follow  river,"  the  native  responded 
decidedly. 

Thus  the  matter  was  settled,  and  shortly 
after  noon  the  wanderers  set  forth  along  the 
shore.  The  forest  at  this  point  was  open,  and 
free  from  undergrowth,  so  that  the  advance 
was  not  difficult.  By  evening  a  number  of  miles 
had  been  covered,  and  they  went  into  camp 
well  pleased  with  the  afternoon's  progress. 

Before  leaving  their  landing  place  Mildred 
had  woven  a  rough  basket  from  long,  slender 
twigs,  and  in  this,  upon  a  bed  of  soil,  the  coals 
had  been  carried  with  which  they  were  to  kindle 
their  evening  fire.  This  enabled  them  to  keep 
the  physician's  little  store  of  matches,  now 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

numbering  a  bare  half  dozen,  for  use  in  case  of 
an  emergency. 

In  this  manner  the  party  journeyed  on,  push- 
ing forward  steadily,  with  only  a  brief  stop  at 
midday  for  rest  and  food.  But  they  soon  found 
that  they  must  be  more  sparing  of  their 
strength.  Since  leaving  the  hills  the  heat  had 
steadily  increased,  until  now  it  was  exceedingly 
oppressive  during  the  hours  immediately  before 
and  after  noon. 

The  road,  too,  was  extremely  rough  and 
fatiguing.  In  pjaces  the  underbrush  was  so 
dense  that  wide  detours  had  to  be  made  from 
the  river's  brink,  while  again  there  would  be 
long  stretches  of  marshy  ground,  over  which 
progress  was  not  only  difficult,  but  dangerous 
as  well. 

Accordingly  the  travelers  made  a  change  in 
the  order  of  the  day.  They  rose  at  dawn  and, 
after  a  hasty  lunch,  pressed  on  until  the  middle 
of  the  forenoon.  Then  a  halt  was  made  for 
several  hours,  while  the  chief  meal  of  'the  day 
was  prepared  and  eaten.  Then  followed  a  time 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

of  rest,  and  towards  four  o'clock  the  advance 
was  resumed  and  continued  until  darkness 
came.  This  enabled  them  to  make  fair  prog- 
ress, without  entailing  the  severe  strain  upon 
them  that  they  endured  under  the  former 
routine. 

Yet  it  was  with  feelings  of  relief  that,  late  on 
the  fifth  afternoon,  they  found  themselves  at 
the  end  of  the  forest.  In  its  stead  a  wide,  roll- 
ing plain  stretched  away  to  the  distant  horizon. 
It  was  covered  with  a  tall,  rank  growth  of 
coarse  grass,  and  the  deep  green  surface, 
swayed  by  the  light  breeze,  resembled  a  broad 
expanse  of  ocean. 

Through  this  plain  the  river  wound  its  slow, 
sinuous  way,  a  thin  fringe  of  low  bushes  mark- 
ing its  course,  while  in  the  distance  a  range  of 
hills  could  be  seen,  looming  against  the  sky  in 
a  soft,  purple  haze.  This  was  indeed  a  wel- 
come relief  to  the  wanderers  after  the  gloom 
and  monotony  of  the  jungle.  But  they  found 
that  the  change  had  its  disadvantages,  for  the 
heat  was  even  greater  than  before,  and  there 

-250- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

was  no  shelter  from  the  pitiless,  scorching  sun, 
even  when  tliey  halted  for  the  noontide  rest. 

When  night  came  they  camped  in  the  center 
of  a  small  thicket  near  the  river's  bank,  assign- 
ing to  Leigh  the  watch  until  midnight,  at  which 
hour  Harrie  was  to  take  his  place. 

Just  what  it  was  that  caused  the  latter  to 
wake  he  could  not  tell,  but  he  suddenly  found 
himself  staring  with  wide  open  eyes  at  the  fire, 
upon  which  his  friend  had  just  laid  a  fresh 
supply  of  fuel.  Leigh  was  sitting  before  the 
blaze,  his  face  supported  on  his  hands,  lost  in 
thought;  the  other  members  of  the  party  were 
sleeping  quietly. 

But  the  uncertain,  flickering  light  revealed 
more  than  this  to  the  half -aroused  lad.  It 
showed  a  dark  form  crouched  in  the  bushes  just 
behind  the  unsuspecting  guard.  The  lurking 
shadow  held  in  its  hands  a  long,  slender  pole, 
which  was  stretched  out  towards  the  fire.  At 
the  end  of  the  stick  there  was  a  large  loop,  and, 
as  he  watched  in  an  indifferent  way,  Harrie 
saw  that  the  fellow  was  striving  to  slip  this 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

noose  over  Leigh's  head.  Instantly  the  boy 
was  wide  awake,  and  leaping  to  his  feet  with  a 
loud  shout,  rushed  towards  the  intruder. 

At  the  alarm  both  man  and  pole  vanished  into 
the  thicket,  while  the  rest  of  the  party,  aroused 
by  the  cry,  crowded  about  Harrie,  demanding 
an  explanation.  He  related  briefly  what  had 
occurred,  adding: 

"I  don't  know  what  the  chap  was  after,  but 
he  certainly  seemed  to  be  trying  to  slip  the  loop 
on  the  end  of  his  pole  over  Leigh's  head." 

"He  head  hunter,"  Semessi  explained,  and 
then  added  to  Mildred:  "You  tell  'em." 

"Yes,  tell  us  what  a  head  hunter  is,"  urged 
Harrie. 

"Well,  there  are  various  tribes  who  practice 
head  hunting,"  said  the  girl.  "Their  great  de.- 
sire  is  io  secure  as  many  human  heads  as  pos- 
sible, and  the  man  who  has  the  largest  number 
is  the  one  of  greatest  power.  They  endeavor  to 
accomplish  their  purpose  with  as  little  danger 
to  themselves  as  possible,  and  so  use  the  instru- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

ment  you  saw  in  the  hands  of  the  man  who  was 
trying  for  Leigh's  head. 

"It  is  called  by  the  natives  a  man  catcher. 
At  the  end  of  the  rod,  within  the  loop,  there  is 
a  sharp  prong  about  three  inches  in  length. 
By  throwing  the  noose  over  an  enemy's  head, 
and  giving  a  quick  backward  jerk,  this  prong  is 
driven  into  the  back  of  the  neck,  causing  almost 
instant  death." 

"Whew!"  cried  Leigh  soberly.  "It  looks  as 
though  I  must  thank  you  for  saving  my  life, 
Harrie.  It  was  a  close  call, ' '  and  he  shuddered 
at  the  thought. 

"Is  there  any  danger  of  an  immediate  at- 
tack!" queried  Dr.  Thornton  anxiously.  "We 
must  not  allow  them  to  take  us  off  our  guard." 

"I  hardly  think  there  is  cause  for  alarm," 
Mildred  responded.  "They  are  usually  great 
cowards,  and  seldom  care  to  risk  an  open  fight. 
They  prefer  to  steal  up  behind  some  unsuspect- 
ing traveler  and  capture  the  head  with  the  aid 
of  their  man  catcher." 

-253- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"Then  you  think  we  have  seen  the  last  of  the 
rascals?"  Harrie  asked. 

''No,"  was  the  reply.  "  Very  likely  they  will 
dog  our  trail  for  days,  hoping  for  a  chance  to 
steal  up  unobserved  and  kill  one  of  us.  We 
shall  need  to  be  constantly  on  our  guard.  But 
I  do  not  believe  they  will  venture  to  attack  us 
openly. ' ' 

There  was  little  sleep  for  the  remainder  of 
the  night,  and  as  soon  as  day  dawned  the  party 
were  moving,  for  a  burning  desire  had  come 
upon  them  to  get  as  far  away  from  the  danger- 
ous locality  as  possible.  A  sharp  lookout  was 
kept  on  all  sides,  for  the  tall  grass  formed  a 
most  excellent  lurking  place  for  the  enemy. 

Nothing  was  seen  of  the  head  hunters  during 
the  forenoon,  but  while  the  wanderers  were  eat- 
ing their  luncheon  in  the  shade  of  a  clump  of 
trees,  Leigh  was  confident  that  he  caught  a 
glimpse  of  a  native  skulking  in  the  bushes  which 
fringed  the  river  shore.  He  was  confirmed  in 
his  belief  a  little  later  by  Harrie,  who  detected 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

a  dark  form  crouched  in  the  grass  on  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  party. 

1  'It's  evident  they  are  still  watching  us,"  was 
the  lad's  comment,  ''but  so  long  as  they  don't 
make  an  attack  we  are  all  right." 

"I'd  rather  they  would  not  even  watch  us," 
said  the  father.  "It  is  a  most  uncomfortable 
experience  to  feel  that  we  are  under  constant 
surveillance,  and  that  the  least  carelessness  may 
bring  death." 

"By  and  by  be  more;  then  they  fight," 
Semessi  remarked  grimly. 

The  others  looked  grave  at  this  announce- 
ment; a  gravity  which  was  suddenly  increased 
as,  with  a  soft  whirr,  an  arrow  went  sailing  over 
their  heads  to  strike  the  earth  a  few  feet  away. 
The  chief  instantly  turned,  and,  picking  up  his 
bow,  discharged  a  shaft  at  the  moving  grass 
where  the  native  had  been  seen  a  moment  be- 
fore. Then  he  walked  over  to  the  spot  where 
the  arrow  was  still  quivering  in  the  ground. 
Pulling  it  free  he  gave  it  a  brief  glance,  declar- 
ing tersely:  ' 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"Poisoned." 

In  silence  his  comrades  inspected  the  weapon 
which  he  held  out  to  them.  It  was  the  counter- 
part of  the  one  which  had  caused  Koloka's 
death,  and  a  dread  fell  on  each  member  of  the 
party  at  the  sight. 

"Cowards!"  muttered  Harrie  between  his 
teeth, ' '  to  keep  under  cover  themselves,  and  use 
every  means  to  kill  us,  when  we've  done  them 
no  harm!" 

"Is  there  any  way  we  can  drive  them  off?" 
questioned  Leigh. 

"None  that  I  know  of,"  Dr.  Thornton  re- 
turned. "We  are  helpless." 

"And  all  because  we  were  such  fools  as  to 
lose  our  canoe!"  the  youth  exclaimed  bitterly. 

"If  they  are  going  to  kill  us,  I  wish  they 
would  hurry  and  have  it  done  with,"  Harrie 
remarked.  "This  suspense  and  uncertainty 
breaks  a  fellow  all  up. ' ' 

But  the  head  hunters  made  no  further  move. 
Their  purpose  had  evidently  been  simply  to 
alarm  the  wanderers.  Nor  were  they  seen 

—256— 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

again  during  the  day.  As  night  came  on 
Semessi  seemed  anxious  and  preoccupied, 
scanning  the  nearby  landscape  closely.  At 
length  his  face  lighted  up  and  he  led  the  way 
out  upon  a  point  which  jutted  out  into  the 
river. 

"We  camp  here,"  he  declared. 

"Why  here?"  the  physician  asked. 

"Make  fire  there,"  the  native  returned,  in- 
dicating the  narrow  strip  which  connected  the 
cape  with  the  mainland.  "Then  they  not  get 
at  us  in  dark. ' ' 

"Sure  enough!"  the  other  exclaimed.  "We 
shall  be  much  safer  here  than  wliere  the  enemy 
could  attack  us  on  all  sides. ' ' 

1 '  But  suppose  they  take  to  the  river  and  swim 
out  to  the  other  end  of  the  point  ?  What  then  ? ' ' 
objected  Harrie. 

"We  can  build  a  fire  there  also,"  his  father 
responded,  "which  will  prevent  their  landing 
there  unseen." 

"Then  we  shall  need  to  collect  a  larger 
supply  of  wood  than  usual,"  said  the  lad. 

-257- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

1 1  Come,  Leigh,  we  must  hasten,  for  it  will  soon 
be  dark." 

From  the  neighboring  thickets,  and  among 
the  drift  along  the  shore  a  huge  pile  of  fuel 
was  gathered.  As  soon  as  daylight  faded  the 
fires  were  started  at  either  end  of  their 
refuge,  while  between  them  the  brush  hut  was 
erected  for  Mildred.  It  was  also  decided  to 
stand  guard  by  twos  as  an  additional  precau- 
tion. 

Whether  this  had  any  effect  on  the  natives  or 
not,  they  made  no  demonstration  whatever,  nor 
were  there  any  signs  of  their  presence  in  the 
morning.  Nevertheless  the  travelers  were  not 
to  be  put  off  their  guard,  believing  that  the  en- 
emy were  still  on  their  track  and  only  waiting 
for  a  more  favorable  opportunity  to  renew  the 
attack. 

Nor  were  they  mistaken  in  this  supposition. 
Late  that  afternoon,  as  they  were  entering  the 
tract  of  broken  country  where  the  river  pierced 
the  range  of  low  hills,  Dr.  Thornton  turned  and 
glanced  back  over  the  plain.  From  the  knoll 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

on  which  he  stood  there  was  an  extensive  view, 
and  as  his  eye  slowly  swept  the  horizon  he  gave 
utterance  to  a  low  cry. 

His  comrades  hurried  to  his  side,  inquiring 
the  cause  of  his  alarm.  In^ilence  the  physician 
pointed  hack  in  the  direction  from  which  they 
had  just  come.  There,  not  over  a  mile  away, 
and  advancing  towards  them  at  a  quick  trot, 
they  saw  a  score  or  more  of  natives. 


CHAPTER  V. 

DELIVEEANCE  AND  DANGER. 

"THEY  ready  to  fight  now,"  was  Semessi's 
grim  comment,  as  his  glance  rested  upon  the  ad- 
vancing natives. 

"You  are  right,"  Dr.  Thornton  returned. 
"And  they  will  be  up  with  us  shortly.  We 
must  hasten  on." 

"But  what  advantage  will  there  be  in  going 
farther!"  Harrie  asked.  "They  will  overtake 
us  in  an  hour  at  the  most.  Why  not  fight  now, 
before  we  are  tired  out  from  our  flight!" 

"We  go  this  way,"  the  chief  suggested, 
pointing  away  from  the  river.  ' '  Maybe  we  find 
place  where  we  can  fight  better." 

"Yes,"  chimed  in  Leigh,  "and  it  may  throw 
them  off  our  track." 

-260- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"Very  well,"  assented  the  physician.  "But 
we  must  be  quick  about  it.  We  haven't  over  ten 
minutes  left." 

He  led  the  way  as  he  spoke  towards  the  low, 
rounded  hillocks  which  stretched  away  to  the 
higher  range  a  half  mile  distant.  In  and  out 
among  the  boulders  he  wound  his  way,  all  the 
time  glancing  anxiously  to  the  right  and  left 
for  some  nook  or  cranny  which  would  afford  a 
partial  shelter  from  the  attacks  of  the  enemy. 
Five  minutes  passed,  and  then  Semessi's  keen 
eye  found  the  place  for  which  they  were  seek- 
ing. 

"Here,"  he  exclaimed,  darting  on  before  his 
companions,  "this  good." 

The  spot  to  which  he  called  their  attention 
was  a  semi-cavernous  hollow  in  the  side  of  a 
large  knoll  which  rose  abruptly  from  the  sur- 
rounding level.  Under  the  combined  action  of 
wind  and  weather  an  opening  of  considerable 
size  had  been  scooped  out  in  the  loose  gravel 
near  its  base,  while  the  rocky  structure  of  the 
mound  above  formed  'a  shelving  roof. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

This  pocket-like  cave  was  of  a  size  sufficient 
to  shelter  the  entire  party,  and  thus  to  prevent 
all  possibility  of  attack  save  in  front.  Dr. 
Thornton's  face  lighted  up  as  he  took  in  the 
situation,  and  after  a  swift  glance  at  the  large 
stones  with  which  the  ground  was  covered,  he 
cried : 

"It  is  just  the  place!  And  if  we  work  fast 
we  can  throw  up  a  breastwork  of  these  rocks 
before  the  natives  catch  up  with  us ! " 

He  set  the  example  by  immediately  picking 
up  the  nearest  stone  and  placing  it  in  position. 
His  companions  at  once  fell  to  work  with  a  will, 
even  Mildred  lending  her  aid,  in  spite  of  the 
protests  of  the  lads,  and  the  rude  barricade 
grew  rapidly. 

Ten  minutes  passed  without  any  signs  of  the 
enemy.  Fifteen  went  by  and  still  they  did  not 
put  in  an  appearance.  In  breathless  haste  the 
wanderers  worked  on.  The  fortifications  were 
now  breast  high  and,  regarding  them  as  com- 
pleted, they  ceased  their  endeavors. 

"I  guess  we  have  thrown  them  off  our  trail 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

after  all,"  Leigh  remarked  exultingly.  "They 
must  have  kept  right  on  down  the  river." 

But  even  as  they  .spoke  a  dark  skinned  war- 
rior came  in  view  around  the  nearest  hillock. 
He  sent  up  a  shout  of  triumph  at  sight  of  the 
fugitives,  who  immediately  retired  into  their 
stronghold,  and  there  awaited  the  attack  with 
fast  beating  hearts. 

The  man  who  had  first  appeared  halted  for 
his  comrades  to  come  up  with  him,  and  then  the 
entire  band  advanced  confidently  towards  the 
little  party.  Not  until  they  were  within  a  half 
dozen  rods  did  they  discover  the  defensive 
works  which  had  been  erected,  and  they  came 
to  a  sudden  standstill  at  the  sight. 

"They  don't  seem  to  like  the  looks  of  things," 
commented  Leigh  as  he  lay  peering  through 
the  crevices  in  their  hastily  constructed  wall. 
'  *  Maybe  they  will  give  up  the  fight. ' ' 

"They  will  be  more  likely  to  try  to  starve  us 
out,"  Harrie  retorted  moodily.  "It  won't  take 
them  very  long  either,  for  we  've  but  little  food, 
and  no  water." 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

' '  That  is  just  what  they  are  planning  to  do, ' ' 
said  his  father.  ' '  See,  they  have  spread  out  so 
as  to  form  a  big  half  circle,  enclosing  the  front 
of  the  knoll,  and  are  sitting  down  to  wait  for  us 
to  surrender." 

"There's  where  they  are  wise,"  the  lad  re- 
turned. "They  know  that  if  they  only  wait 
long  enough  they  will  get  our  heads  without  en- 
dangering their  own  in  the  least.  It's  simply  a 
question  of  time." 

"We  would  have  done  better  if  we  had  kept 
right  on  down  stream, ' '  Leigh  remarked. 

* '  I  hardly  think  so, "  the  physician  answered. 
"They  would  soon  have  overtaken  us,  and  a 
fight  in  the  open  would  have  increased  the 
chances  against  us. ' ' 

' '  They  wait  till  dark, ' '  said  Semessi.  ' '  Then 
they  creep— creep  up  still  and  kill  us  all." 

"Sure  enough,  they  will  be  able  to  do  that," 
the  gentleman  exclaimed,  "for  we  have  no 
means  of  making  a  fire.  Shall  we  not  try  to 
force  a  passage  through  them?"  and  he  glanced 
anxiously  at  Mildred. 

-26A- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

The  old  chief  shook  his  head  slowly.  "No 
use  try  that,"  was  his  decided  reply.  "They 
too  many." 

After  this  silence  fell  upon  the  little  com- 
pany for  a  time.  The  situation  was  indeed  a 
serious  one,  seemingly  the  most  desperate  in 
which  they  had  yet  been  placed,  and  death, 
grim,  forbidding,  stared  them  in  the  face.  Nor 
did  there  seem  to  be  the  slightest  possibility  of 
relief.  It  was  already  past  noon,  and  in  a  few 
hours  the  night,  for  whose  friendly  shades  the 
head  hunters  were  waiting,  woulS  be  at  hand. 
Then—. 

As  the  moments  dragged  by  and  the  natives 
remained  quietly  in  the  position  which  they  had 
first  assumed,  the  lads  presently  ventured  to 
rise  to  their  feet  and  glance  out  over  the  barri- 
cade. No  notice  was  taken  of  their  act,  and  as 
they  once  more  seated  themselves  on  the  ground 
Leigh  exclaimed  bitterly: 

"They  are  so  sure  of  capturing  us  later  that 
they  don 't  even  care  to  shoot  at  us  now ! ' ' 

No  one  made  reply,  and  the  silent  waiting 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

was  continued.  About  three  o'clock  Semessi, 
who  had  been  watching  the  sky  closely  for  some 
time,  announced : 

"Big  storm  coming.     Drive  men  away." 

His  comrades  glanced  eagerly  at  the  heavens, 
but  could  see  nothing  in  the  placid  blue  vault  to 
warrant  his  conclusion. 

"I  guess  you're  mistaken  about  that," 
Harrie  returned.  "It  doesn't  look  in  the  least 
as  though  it  were  going  to  rain. ' ' 

' '  You  see  bimeby, ' '  was  the  confident  answer. 

Within  the  next  half  hour  the  Americans 
were  forced  to  adopt  his  view.  Thick,  dun-col- 
ored clouds  rolled  up  from  the  horizon  and 
spread  over  the  sky,  causing  a  ghastly,  un- 
earthly light  to  take  the  place  of  the  brilliant 
sunshine  which  had  poured  down  in  pitiless, 
scorching  rays  during  the  earlier  portion  of  the 
day. 

The  light  breeze  died  away  entirely,  and  in  its 
stead  a  strange,  ominous  calm  pervaded  the  at- 
mosphere. The  air  became  heavy  and  stifling, 
so  that  one  felt  oppressed,  and  breathing  be- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

came  difficult.  As  the  clouds  mounted  higher 
the  gloom  deepened,  until  a  semi-twilight 
shrouded  the  earth. 

The  wanderers  could  see  that  the  natives  were 
casting  anxious  looks  skyward,  and  conferred 
together  uneasily  in  twos  and  threes.  Evi- 
dently the  approaching  tempest  filled  them  with 
alarm. 

By  and  by  there  came  a  low  growl  of  thunder, 
accompanied  by  several  short,  fitful  gusts  of 
wind.  The  natives  still  waited,  though  plainly 
terrified  by  the  threatening  tumult  of  nature. 
They  huddled  together  in  a  compact  mass,  and 
gave  no  further  heed  to  the  party  within  the 
cavern.  A  lurid  flash  of  lightning,  followed  by 
a  long  crashing  peal  of  thunder  completed 
their  demoralization,  and  they  fled  helter-skel- 
ter for  some  place  of  shelter. 

"Thank  God  for  that!"  ejaculated  Dr. 
Thornton  fervently.  ' '  Let  us  be  going  at  once, 
before  they  recover  from  their  panic. ' ' 

"No!   no!"   said   Semessi   earnestly.     "Big 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

storm  coming— must  stay  here.  Bimeby  we  gx> 
on." 

"But  won't  the  head  hunters  return  when  the 
tempest  is  over?"  questioned  the  gentleman  in 
some  anxiety. 

"No,"  was  the  response.  "They  not  come 
back— ever.  They  too  scared." 

With  a  fierce  blast  of  wind  the  storm  broke 
in  full  fury  at  this  moment,  and  there  was  no 
longer  any  question  as  to  whether  they  should 
remain  or  not.  It  would  have  been  utter  mad- 
ness to  have  ventured  from  their  rude  shelter 
into  the  tumultuous,  warring  elements  without, 
and  the  little  party  crouched  in  the  farthest 
corner  of  their  refuge,  gazing  with  fascinated 
eyes  at  the  tempest. 

The  rain  came  down  in  one  vast,  glistening 
sheet;  flashes  of  lightning,  vivid,  unearthly,  fol- 
lowed one  another  in  such  rapid  succession  as 
to  form  one  continuous  glare;  the  rolling, 
crashing  peals  of  thunder  were  incessant ;  while 
the  wind  howled  until  it  seemed  as  though  ten 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

9 

thousand  demons  had  been  let  loose  upon  the 
helpless  earth. 

At  first  the  refugees  were  snug  enough  in 
their  subterranean  retreat,  but  as  the  storm  in- 
creased the  water,  penetrating  the  soil  above, 
began  to  fall  in  muddy  drops  from  the  rocky 
ceiling  of  the  cavity.  Soon  tiny,  dirty  streams 
were  trickling  down  on  all  sides,  rendering  the 
position  of  the  wanderers  most  disagreeable. 

As  the  hours  dragged  on  the  little  cavern  be- 
came a  veritable  mud  hole,  and  the  crouching 
forms  within  took  on  a  thin  coating  of  the  mire. 
Yet  in  spite  of  these  discomforts  their  situation 
was  ten  times  better  than  a  complete  exposure 
to  the  tempest,  and  they  endured  the  incon- 
venience without  a  murmur. 

The  night  wore  on.  With  the  early  hours  of 
the  morning  the  storm  began  to  abate.  As  rap- 
idly as  it  had  risen  the  tumult  subsided.  When 
the  sun  rose  it  was  into  a  sky  from  which  every 
cloud  had  vanished,  while  the  wind  had  died 
away  to  the  softest  of  breezes. 

It    was    a    sorry    looking    company    which 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 
i 

emerged  from  the  hollow  in  the  hillside. 
Drenched  to  the  skin ;  their  •  clothing,  already 
bearing  marks  of  their  long  journey  through 
the  wilderness,  covered  with  slime  and  mud; 
stiff  and  aching  in  every  joint  from  their 
cramped  quarters;  they  were  indeed  a  pitiful 
spectacle. 

Nevertheless  their  hearts  were  light,  and 
their  conversation  was  cheery  as  they  hastened 
off  towards  the  river.  There  they  separated  for 
a  half  hour,  Mildred  remaining  at  a  secluded 
cove,  while  the  others  went  a  short  distance 
farther  down  the  stream.  When  they  came  to- 
gether again  it  was  with  all  signs  of  the  storm 
removed  from  their  persons  and  clothing. 

The  precious  basket  of  coals  had  been  lost 
during  the  experience  of  the  night,  and  so  they 
once  more  had  recourse  to  the  physician's 
match  safe  in  order  to  kindle  their  fire.  This 
was  soon  done  and  a  meal  was  quickly  prepared. 
While  it  was  being  eaten  Leigh  inquired : 

"Then  you  think  that  the  head  hunters  will 
not  return,  Semessi?" 

-270- 


A  sail !  a  sail !  "  he  cried 

(Page  347) 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"They  not  come  back  any  more,"  was  the  re- 
ply. "We  safe  now.  They  think  storm  demon 
angry. ' ' 

"I  sincerely  trust  that  you  are  right,"  Dr. 
Thornton  remarked.  "The  storm  came  most 
opportunely  for  us,  and  we  have  great  cause 
for  gratitude  this  morning." 

When  breakfast  was  over  the  march  was 
taken  up  once  more  along  the  river  bank.  On 
every  side  traces  of  the  recent  tempest  were  to 
be  seen.  Huge  trees,  uprooted  by  the  gale,  lay 
stretched  along  the  ground;  others  still  stood, 
but  with  torn  and  twisted  branches,  a  mere 
shadow  of  their  former  selves.  Great  gullies 
opened  here  and  there,  where  the  rush  of  water 
had  carried  away  the  soil.  The  undergrowth 
in  many  places  was  beaten  flat  by  the  power  of 
the  storm,  while  in  others  it  had  been  torn  up 
by  the  roots. 

For  a  number  of  miles  the  river  flowed 
through  the  rough,  broken  country  which  ex- 
tended to  the  outskirts  of  the  range  of  hills. 
Then  it  turned  and  pierced  the  heart  of  the 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

ridge,  its  course  lying  deep  in  a  rocky  gorge, 
whose  sides  rose,  sheer  and  precipitous,  directly 
from  the  edge  of  the  stream. 

This  forced  the  wanderers  to  seek  their  path- 
way upon  the  hillside,  along  the  edge  of  the  can- 
yon. Here  they  found  the  traveling  exceed- 
ingly difficult,  and  struggled  on  at  a  slow  rate 
for  fhe  remainder  of  the  day.  Evening  found 
them  still  climbing,  and,  weary  and  footsore, 
they  lay  down  in  the  shelter  of  a  clump  of 
bushes  for  the  night.  To  add  to  their  discom- 
fort they  had  eaten  their  last  morsel  of  food  at 
noon,  and  were  obliged  to  go  supperless  to  their 
hard  couch. 

The  next  morning  they  resumed  their  tramp, 
hungry  and  discouraged,  lamenting  more  than 
ever  the  loss  of  the  canoe.  Midday  came  and 
they  were  still  toiling  on.  Dinner  they  had 
none,  nor  was  there  any  chance  of  securing 
food.  Hollow-eyed  and  silent  the  column 
pressed  doggedly  on  with  a  determination  born 
of  despair. 

With  mid-afternoon  the  ravine  widened  into 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

a  considerable  valley,  whose  fair  expanse 
seemed  to  -mock  at  the  wanderers  with  its  prom- 
ise of  food  and  rest.  In  vain  they  sought  for 
some  means  of  descent  into  the  paradise  below ; 
the  rocky  wall  went  down  straight  and  smooth 
a  hundred  feet  and  more,  affording  no  foothold 
whatever. 

To  add  to  their  difficulty  the  hillside  above 
them  became  more  and  more  steep,  until  at 
length  they  were  walking  in  single  file  along  a 
narrow,  sloping  ledge,  while  a  cliff  towered 
above  them  on  the  left,  and  a  precipice  yawned 
on  the  right. 

Presently,  to  their  unspeakable  joy,  the  path- 
way dipped  downward,  as  though  leading  into 
the  valley.  Five  minutes  more  and  they  were 
within  twenty-five  feet  of  the  bottom,  and  hope 
beat  high  in  every  heart. 

Then  Leigh,  who  was  at  the  head  of  the  col- 
umn, stepped  upon  a  small,  round  stone.  It 
rolled  beneath  his  foot,  throwing  the  lad  for- 
ward and  outward.  He  made  a  desperate  effort 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

to  save  himself,  but  without  avail,  and  with  a 
sharp  cry  he  disappeared  from  view  down  the 
side  of  the  rocky  wall. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

HAEEIE'S  DISCOVERY. 

As  LEIGH  's  form  shot  from  their  sight  down  the 
side  of  the  hill  the  other  members  of  the  party 
halted  in  consternation.  It  was  only  for  a  mo- 
ment, however.  Then,  with  one  accord,  they 
rushed  to  the  spot  from  which  the  lad  had  fal- 
len, and  peered  anxiously  over  the  ledge.  They 
could  see  nothing,  for  a  growth  of  shrubbery  in 
a  crevice  part  way  down  the  wall  hid  its  base 
from  view,  so,  after  a  searching  glance,  they 
turned  and  hastened  on  down  the  pathway. 

A  few  rods  farther  on  it  reached  the  level 
ground,  and  they  sped  back  along  the  foot  of 
the  cliff,  their  hearts  heavy  with  fear  and  dread. 
They  had  gone  but  a  short  distance  when  they 
came  upon  the  youth,  lying  in  the  midst  of  a 

-275- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

clump  of  bushes.  As  they  came  up,  lie  called 
out  feebly: 

' '  Here  I  am,  what  there  is  left  of  me. ' ' 

"Thank  God  he  is  alive!"  ejaculated  Dr. 
Thornton  fervently.  Then  he  added  quickly: 
"Are  you  much  hurt?" 

"I'm  afraid  my  leg  is  broken,"  the  boy  an- 
swered, with  a  smothered  groan.  "  Fortunately 
the  thicket  broke  the  force  of  my  fall." 

Harrie  and  his  father  forced  their  way 
through  the  underbrush  to  Leigh's  side,  and, 
taking  him  in  their  arms,  carried  him  carefully 
out  and  laid  him  down  upon  the  grass.  His  face 
and  hands  were  scratched  and  bleeding  from 
their  contact  with  the  bushes,  and  one  leg  hung 
helpless.  The  physician  made  a  hasty  examina- 
tion, and  then  announced  with  a  sigh  of  relief: 

"Aside  from  the  broken  limb  I  think  there 
are  no  serious  injuries.  You  were  very  for- 
tunate to  escape  so  lightly,  my  boy. ' ' 

Leigh  made  a  wry  face,  and  said  with  a  gasp : 

"I  don't  see  that  it  is  getting  off  so  lightly, 
Doctor." 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"I  know  it  is  a  pretty  bad  hurt,"  the  gentle- 
man admitted,  "but  it  is  wonderful  that  you 
were  not  killed  instantly." 

"Yes,  I  suppose  so,"  the  lad  assented,  "and 
I  am  thankful  that  it  is  no  worse." 

"We  must  get  this  leg  straightened  out  the 
first  thing  we  do,"  remarked  Dr.  Thornton 
briskly  as  he  cut  away  the  clothing  from  the  in- 
jured limb.  "Harrie,  will  you  see  if  you  can 
find  me  some  sticks  that  will  answer  for  splints  ? 
And  Mildred,  if  you  will  tear  this  trousers'  leg 
into  strips  for  bandages.  There,  that  is  right. 
Thank  you." 

As  he  talked  the  physician  worked  quickly 
and  deftly,  and  in  a  short  time  the  fracture  had 
been  reduced,  and  the  leg  encased  in  a  rude 
bandage.  Leigh  bore  the  operation  without 
flinching,  though  he  got  very  white  about  the 
mouth,  and  the  perspiration  stood  on  his  fore- 
head in  great  drops.  As  the  Doctor  straight- 
ened up,  he  announced : 

"There,  that  will  do  nicely  now,  I  think, 
though  it's  rough  and  ready  surgery.  You  did 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

nobly,  my  boy,"  and  he  laid  his  hand  on  the 
prostrate  head  affectionately. 

The  youth  nodded  his  thanks,  but  did  not 
trust  himself  to  speak.  After  a  moment  of  si- 
lence Harrie  said : 

•"I  suppose  this  means  that  we  shall  have  to 
go  into  camp  for  a  time,  doesn't  it?" 

''Yes,"  his  father  responded.  " Leigh  will 
not  be  able  to  do  much  walking  for  the  next 
eight  weeks,  so  we  may  as  well  make  a  perma- 
nent camp  at  once." 

"We  couldn't  have  a  much  better  place  for 
it  than  right  here,"  the  lad  went  on.  ''This 
valley  is  an  ideal  spot,  if  only  there  are  no  na- 
tives around." 

"It  is  a  pleasant  location,"  the  gentleman  as- 
sented, casting  an  admiring  glance  over  the  fair 
scene. 

The  valley  stretched  away  to  the  south  in 
ever-increasing  width,  until  it  became  merged 
with  the  greater  plain  beyond  the  range.  On 
either  hand  the  masses  of  hill  rose  in  a  pic- 
turesque medley  of  peaks,  some  of  bare  grey 

-278- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

stone,  others  clad  in  a  garment  of  living  green. 
Through  the  center  of  the  basin  flowed  the 
river,  one  side  bordered  with  trees,  while  from 
the  other  the  meadow  sloped  gently  to  the  base 
of  the  cliff.  At  its  lower  end,  however,  the 
whole  breadth  of  the  valley  was  coveied  with 
dense  forest  growth. 

"We  must  bestir  ourselves,  and  make  my  pa- 
tient here  more  comfortable,"  Dr.  Thornton 
went  on  as  his  gaze  returned  to  his  immediate 
surroundings.  "We  will  put  up  a  rough  brush 
shack  for  the  present,  just  enough  to  keep  off 
the  sun  during  the  day  and  the  dampness  at 
night.  Later  we  can  try  our  hand  at  a  more 
substantial  shelter." 

The  band  set  to  work  at  once,  and  by  sun- 
down the  camp  began  to  take  on  a  habitable 
look.  Semessi  discovered  a  spring  a  short  dis- 
tance away,  and  near  this  it  was  decided  to  take 
up  their  abode.  There  the  rude  brush  hut  was 
accordingly  erected,  Leigh  was  removed  to  its 
shelter,  and  laid  upon  a  couch  of  boughs,  which, 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

if  not  the  softest,  was  at  least  more  comfortable 
than  the  bare  earth. 

The  chief  also  found  time  for  a  little  hunting 
trip,  from-  which  he  returned  bearing  a  number 
of  birds,  which  furnished  a  most  welcome  re- 
past after  the  long  fast  of  the  wanderers.  Night 
found  them  well  prepared  for  its  coming,  and 
they  went  to  their  rest  with  hearts  thankful  that 
what  had  promised  to  be  so  great  a  disaster  had 
had  ended  so  fortunately. 

They  were  astir  at  an  early  hour  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning,  and  then  began  a  busy  two 
weeks  for  the  entire  company.  Though  they 
possessed  neither  axe,  hatchet,  nor  saw,  yet  they 
resolutely  addressed  themselves  to  the  task  of 
providing  a  suitable  shelter  in  case  of  storm. 
A  grove  of  tall  and  slender  saplings  had  been 
laid  prostrate  by  the  recent  tempest,  and  these 
furnished  the  materials  for  the  hut.  One  by  one 
they  were  trimmed  of  their  branches,  and  then 
were  brought  to  a  uniform  length  by  burning 
away  one  end  in  a  slow  fire. 

With  these  poles,  set  upright  in  the  ground 

-280- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

and  bound  together  with  lengths  of  vine,  the 
four  walls  were  formed.  Then  other  rods  were 
laid  across  the  top  to  form  a  roof,  slightly  slop- 
ing to  carry  off  the  moisture.  The  entire  out- 
side of  this  structure  was  covered  with  a  thick 
coating  of  clay,  while  the  roof  received  an  addi- 
tional layer  of  turf. 

Beside  this  larger  building,  which  was  about 
twelve  feet  square,  a  small  lean-to  was  con- 
structed for  Mildred's  sole  use,  and  when  the 
whole  had  been  completed  it  formed  a  snug  and 
comfortable  camp.  The  wanderers  were  well 
pleased  with  their  success,  and  regarded  it  as 
a  highly  satisfactory  achievement,  considering 
their  lack  of  tools. 

Meantime  Leigh  had  been  having  a  hard  time 
of  it.  Forced  to  lie  alone  in  the  heat,  upon  a 
couch  none  too  soft,  while  the  others  were  busy 
at  their  work,  these  two  weeks  were  most  trying 
ones  for  the  invalid.  His  hurt  was  doing  nicely, 
however,  and  the  physician  expressed  much 
gratification  that  no  setback  occurred  from  the 
lack  of  proper  surgical  facilities. 

-281- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

After  the  rush  of  house  building  was  over  the 
injured  lad's  position  was  a  trifle  more  endur- 
able. One  or  the  other  of  his  comrades  was 
with  him  constantly,  and  many  were  the  devices 
resorted  to  in  order  to  pass  away  the  tedious 
hours.  Leigh  appreciated  the  efforts  of  Harrie 
and  his  father,  but  there  was  no  doubt  as  to  his 
preference  for  Mildred's  ministrations.  The 
other  lad  finally  declared  that  his  friend  did  not 
want  to  get  well,  but  wished  to  remain  an  in- 
valid in  order  to  be  waited  on  by  the  young  girl. 

Thus  the  time  passed  more  rapidly  than  they 
had  believed  possible.  Every  day  Semessi  and 
Harrie  spent  a  number  of  hours  in  hunting  or 
fishing,  and  all  the  game  which  they  did  not 
need  for  immediate  consumption  was  smoked 
and  dried  for  future  use.  Fortunately  a  planta- 
tion of  wild  yams  was  found  a  half  mile  or  so 
down  the  river,  which  furnished  a  much  rel- 
ished supply  of  vegetables.  The  old  chief  was 
rather  surprised  at  the  discovery  and  declared 
that  the  valley  must  have  been  the  home  of  some 
tribe  years  before,  though  there  were  no  signs 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

of  their  presence,  a  fact  which  gave  great  satis- 
faction to  the  campers. 

It  was  one  afternoon  in  the  latter  part  of 
their  fifth  week  in  the  valley  that  Harrie  went 
on  the  daily  hunt  alone.  Semessi  was  busy 
making  snares  with  which  he  hoped  to  capture 
some  of  the  pigeons  that  were  to  be  found  in 
abundance  in  the  forest  across  the  river,  and 
did  not  wish  to  leave  until  he  had  completed 
them,  so  the  lad  set  off  unaccompanied. 

Instead  of  crossing  the  stream,  as  was  their 
usual  custom,  the  youth  struck  off  along  the 
bank  to  the  south,  impelled  by  a  desire  to  ex- 
plore the  lower  part  of  the  valley,  which  up  to 
this  time  none  of  the  party  had  visited.  He 
walked  briskly  along,  bow  and  arrows  in  hand, 
with  watchful  eye  for  beast  or  bird  which  might 
prove  acceptable  to  the  camp  cook. 

In  half  an  hour's  time  he  had  traversed  the 
meadow  land,  and  reached  the  edge  of  the 
grove  which  at  this  point  extended  from  hill  to 
hill  on  either  side  of  the  river.  As  yet  he  had 
been  able  to  bring  down  nothing,  and  so  he 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

pressed  on  into  the  forest,  believing  that  there 
he  would  be  sure  to  obtain  the  game  he  sought. 

But  for  once  the  ever-present  feathered  pop- 
ulation seemed  to  have  vanished,  for  not  one 
could  the  young  hunter  find,  though  he  moved 
with  the  utmost  caution.  Knowing  that  he 
could  easily  retrace  his  steps  to  the  river  bank, 
and  was  therefore  in  no  danger  of  becoming 
lost,  Harrie  continued  to  advance,  reluctant  to 
turn  back  until  he  had  some  trophy  to  carry 
with  him. 

He  had  already  penetrated  a  half  mile  or 
more  into  the  woods,  when,  through  an  opening 
in  the  trees,  he  caught  sight  of  what  seemed  to 
be  a  stone  building,  or  at  least  the  ruins  of  a 
wall.  The  glimpse  was  only  a  fleeting  one,  but 
it  aroused  the  curiosity  of  the  youth,  and  he 
turned  aside  to  investigate.  A  few  steps  .and  he 
again  had  a  view,  this  time  an  unmistakable 
one,  of  some  large  structure  among  the  tree 
trunks. 

Thoroughly  excited,  he  pushed  on  towards 
the  ruins  through  the  undergrowth  which  was 

-284- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

here  quite  dense.  Now  and  again  there  came 
those  tantalizing  visions  of  towering  walls, 
never  seeming  far  away,  but  which  came  no 
nearer  as  he  continued  to  advance.  Presently, 
as  the  lad  stepped  upon  what  appeared  to  be  a 
mound  of  dried  brush  and  leaves,  the  mass  gave 
way  beneath  him,  and  he  felt  himself  rapidly 
sinking. 

Instinctively  he  threw  out  his  arms  in  an  ef- 
fort to  save  himself  by  catching  at  the  edge  of 
the  cavity  into  which  he  was  falling,  but  the 
rubbish  which  littered  the  ground  afforded  no 
permanent  hold.  With  a  last  quick  drop  of 
some  feet  he  reached  the  bottom  of  the  hole,  in 
the  midst  of  the  shower  of  debris  which  he  had 
dislodged  in  his  descent.  He  was  considerably 
shaken  by  his  tumble,  and  eyes  and  nostrils 
were  full  of  the  fine  dust  which  rose  in  a  cloud 
about  him,  but  he  was  uninjured. 

When  he  had  recovered  his  breath  and 
brushed  the  dirt  from  his  face,  the  lad  looked 
curiously  about  him  to  see  what  manner  of 
place  it  was  into  which  he  had  dropped  so  un- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

expectedly.  To  his  surprise  he  found  that  it 
was  not,  as  he  had  supposed,  a  natural  cavity, 
but  instead  was  the  work  of  man. 

The  opening  was  circular,  nearly  eight  feet 
across,  and  the  sides  were  faced  with  small,  ob- 
long stones,  laid  in  regular  courses  like  bricks. 
The  floor,  beneath  the  accumulated  rubbish,  was 
also  paved  with  the  little  blocks.  Glancing  up- 
ward, Harrie  saw  that  the  top  of  this  singular 
well  was  a  trifle  more  than  four  feet  above  his 
head,  so  that  the  total  depth  could  not  have 
been  far  from  ten  feet. 

Eagerly  his  eyes  scanned  the  stone-work  be- 
fore him,  seeking  for  some  crevice  which  would 
afford  a  foothold  by  which  he  might  climb  to 
the  upper  air.  But  the  masonry  presented  an 
unbroken  surface,  and  he  turned  to  inspect  the 
part  of  the  well  which  lay  behind  him.  Imme- 
diately a  low  cry  of  surprise  escaped  him.  A 
small  doorway  opened  directly  before  him,  nar- 
row, arched  at  the  top,  and  giving  entrance  to 
a  dark  passage  leading  off  in  the  direction  of 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

the  ruins  towards  which  he  had  been  making 
his  way. 

"This  begins  to  look  interesting,"  Harrie 
ejaculated  after  a  moment  of  speechless  be- 
wilderment. "I'd  like  to  know  where  that  tun- 
nel leads. ' ' 

As  he  spoke  he  approached  the  opening  and 
peered  earnestly  into  the  darkness.  At  first  he 
could  distinguish  nothing,  but  presently  he 
thought  that  he  detected  a  faint  glimmering  of 
light  far  in  the  distance.  He  glanced  around 
him  doubtfully,  muttering  under  his  breath : 

"I've  a  mind  to  see  where  this  goes.  I  can't 
get  lost  so  long  as  it  is  one  straight  passage. 
Maybe  I'll  find  a  way  to  get  back  to  the  surface 
at  the  other  end,  and  I  can't  do  that  here.  So 
here  goes ! ' ' 

He  stepped  boldly  through  the  door.  The 
tunnel  was  walled  with  stone  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  the  excavation  he  had  just  left.  The 
arched  roof  was  but  a  few  inches  above  his 
head,  and  the  walls  on  either  side  were  so  close 
that  Ms  elbows  nearly  touched  the  masonry. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

The  air  was  damp  and  musty,  but  as  his  eyes 
became  accustomed  to  the  gloom  the  youth  was 
confident  that  he  could  see  a  small  spot  of  light 
on  ahead. 

Nor  was  he  mistaken.  The  brightness  stead- 
ily increased  as  he  advanced,  and  after1  three  or 
four  minutes  of  walking  he  emerged  into  a 
sunken  court,  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  walls 
that  were  still  stately  even  in  their  decay  and 
ruin.  Tall  columns  supported  what  had  once 
been  the  roof  of  a  beautiful  colonnade  enclosing 
three  sides  of  the  square,  while  on  the  fourth 
the  walls,  though  more  plain,  were  yet  im- 
posing. 

In  the  center  of  the  court  was  a  fountain,  once 
glorious  with  delicate  carvings,  of  which  even 
now  there  were  portions  in  a  fair  state  of  pre- 
servation. The  pavement,  of  large,  smooth 
slabs,  was  warped  and  uneven,  the  grass  grow- 
ing rankly  in  the  cracks  and  seams.  And  over 
all  there  brooded  the  deathlike  stillness  of  de- 
sertion and  decay. 

The  lad  glanced  about  him  silently,  lost  in 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

wonder  and  admiration.  How  came  these  relics 
of  a  long  forgotten  civilization  here  in  the  midst 
of  this  great  unknown  island!  Who  reared 
those  walls,  enduring  in  defiance  of  the  inroads 
of  numberless  years?  What  manner  of  men 
had  lived  here  in  the  long  ago? 

A  feeling  of  uneasiness  and  oppression  came 
over  the  youth,  and  he  started  hastily  to  cross 
the  court.  His  footsteps  rang  out  in  hollow 
resonance  upon  the  all-pervading  quiet,  and 
awoke  the  melancholy  echoes.  A  lizard, 
startled  by  the  unwonted  noise  from  its  nap  in 
the  sun,  slid  from  its  resting  place  on  the  edge 
of  the  fountain  and  scuttled  away  across  the 
grass  covered  stones. 

Harrie  glanced  furtively  around  him,  and 
hurried  on.  A  flight  of  broad  steps  led  up  to 
the  level  of  the  floor  above.  Quickly  mounting 
them,  the  boy  passed  between  the  columns, 
carved  with  strange,  unfamiliar  figures,  and 
found  himself  'in  a  large  rectangular  hall.  A 
long  line  of  fluted  pillars  ran  down  the  center, 
forming  a  support  for  the  roof,  which  had  long 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

since  fallen.  A  tall  sapling  had  forced  its  way 
through  the  paved  floor  midway  of  the  apart- 
ment, its  upper  branches  rising  above  the 
mouldering  walls.  Through  the  narrow  slits 
which  had  once  served  as  windows,  vines  and 
brambles  peered  in,  nodding  companionship  to 
the  young  tree. 

At  the  farther  end  of,  the  room  a  wide, 
arched  door,  with  imposing  side  columns, 
opened  into  the  jungle  outside  and  towards  this 
Harrie  hastened,  impatient  to  be  away  from  the 
desolate  stillness  of  the  ruined  palace.  As  he 
reached  the  entrance  a  sound  without  caused 
him  to  halt  and  listen.  Surely  footsteps  were 
approaching.  With  a  hasty  glance  about  him, 
the  lad  shrank  back  into  the  shadow  of  the  big 
pillar,  and  waited  in  breathless  silence. 


-290- 


CHAPTER  VII. 

CAPTURE  AND  ESCAPE. 

THE  approaching  footsteps  drew  nearer,  and 
presently  turned  in  at  the  entrance  of  the  hall. 
Harrie  squeezed  himself  back  into  his  corner  as 
far  as  possible,  awaiting  in  some  anxiety  the 
outcome  of  this  new  adventure.  The  newcomer 
proved  to  be  an  old  man  in  the  native  dress. 
His  once  tall  form  was  bowed  with  age,  and  he 
leaned  heavily  upon  his  staff  as  he  advanced 
with  slow,  feeble  steps  down  the  pavement. 
Hair  and  beard  were  snowy  white,  falling  in 
long,  curling  locks  upon  breast  and  shoulders, 
while  his  entire  person  was  scrupulously  clean. 
He  walked  with  eyes  fixed  upon  the  ground, 
muttering  to  himself  under  his  breath,  and  ap- 
parently giving  no  heed  to  his  surroundings. 

-291- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

The  waiting  lad  gave  a  sigh  of  relief  as  he  saw 
that  his  presence  was  unnoticed,  and  his  glance 
followed  the  retreating  form  curiously  as  it 
crossed  the  room  and  disappeared  "between  the 
columns  at  the  farther  end. 

Then  Harrie  steppe'd  out  from  his  nook  and 
was  about  to  leave  the  ruin  when  a  sudden  im- 
pulse came  upon  him  to  see  where  the  old  fel- 
low was  going,  and  why  he  had  come  into  the 
palace.  So,  turning  abruptly,  he  tip-toed  his 
way  back  down  the  hall,  and  peered  through 
the  colonnade  into  the  court  beyond. 

The  native  was  already  on  the  other  side  of 
the  sunken  area,  and  was  entering  a  narrow 
door  in  the  left  hand  corner  of  the  opposite 
wall.  This  face  was  the  one  without  ornamenta- 
tion, having  simply  a  broad  frieze  at  the  top. 
The  youth  waited  for  a  moment,  and  then  he, 
too,  crossed  the  pavement.  On  the  threshold  he 
paused  to  glance  about  the  room  which  opened 
before  him.  It  resembled  the  one  from  which 
he  had  just  come  in  size  and  shape,  but  the  walls 
were  more  elaborately  decorated,  while  at  his 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

right,  upon  a  raised  platform,  was  a  great 
canopied  throne,  upheld  by  four  stone  beasts 
much  resembling  tigers. 

He  had  time  for  only  the  briefest  look,  as  the 
old  man  walked  straight  down  the  hall  to  the 
door  at  the  farther  end,  through  which  he  van- 
ished. Again  Harrie  pressed  on  behind,  reach- 
ing the  open  air  to  find  himself  in  a  large 
square,  or  plaza,  on  all  sides  of  which  rose 
ruined  walls  of  more  or  less  imposing  build. 

One  structure,  that  on  the  left,  seemed  to  be 
in  a  much  better  state  of  preservation  than  the 
others,  and  it  was  towards  this  that  the  native 
made  his  way.  The  lad  waited  until  the  other 
had  passed  inside  before  he  ventured  to  follow 
across  the  grass-grown  flagging.  The  building 
before  him  was  nearly  square,  and  was  crowned 
by  a  roof  of  stone,  sloping  slightly  from  the 
center  to  the  eaves  on  either  side.  A  row  of 
octagonal  pillars  extended  across  the  front, 
while  entrance  was  gained  from  a  recessed 
porch  in  their  rear. 

Here  in  the  half  shadow  the  youth  waited  an 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

instant,  but  all  was  silent  within,  and  he  quiet- 
ly entered.  The  interior  was  in  semi-darkness, 
being  lighted  by  narrow  slits  high  up  in  the 
thick  walls.  But  one  look  revealed  the  charac- 
ter of  the  place.  It  was  a  temple  without  a 
doubt. 

On  either  side  there  was  a  row  of  three  huge 
idols,  each  carved  from  a  single  block  of  snow 
white  marble.  As  the  lad's  eyes  became  accus- 
tomed to  the  gloom  he  saw  that  the  gigantic 
images  were  in  human  shape.  They  were  in  a 
kneeling  posture,  with  hands  clasped  before 
them,  downcast  faces,  ^and  closed  eyes,  while  up- 
on their  "heads  were  great,  flaring,  scoop-shaped 
bonnets  which  gave  them  a  most  singular  ap- 
pearance. 

Before  one  of  these  grotesque  forms  the  na- 
tive was  prostrating  himself,  mumbling  pray- 
ers in  a  subdued  monotone.  He  continued  his 
devotions  for  some  moments  and  then,  rising, 
advanced  to  the  lower  end  of  the  room.  Here 
was  a  small  round  altar,  beyond  which,  close 
up  to  the  wall,  stood  a  much  smaller  idol,  mount- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

ed  upon  a  tall  pedestal  of  highly  polished  black 
marble,  elaborately  carved.  Before  this  the  old 
man  kneeled,  and  once  more  began  his  form  of 
worship. 

Harrie  stole  silently  forward  until  nearly  up 
with  the  kneeling  figure,  and  then  stepped  back 
of  the  nearest  image,  from  which  hiding 
place  he  scanned  the  god  above  the  worshiper 
with  eager  curiosity.  This  seventh  statue  was 
a  mere  pigmy  in  comparison  with  its  colossal 
fellows,  being  scarcely  more  than  thirty  inches 
in  height.  It  represented  a  warrior,  clad  in  glit- 
tering golden  armor,  which  gleamed  with  a  dull 
yellow  lustre  where  the  rays  of  the  sinking  sun, 
entering  the  narrow  window,  shone  upon  it. 
One  hand  was  raised  aloft,  bearing  a  javelin,  as 
though  in  the  act  of  hurling. 

But  it  was  the  eyes  which  attracted  the  lad's 
particular  attention.  These  glowed  a  deep, 
fiery  red  in  the  waning  light,  and  it  seemed  to 
the  crouching  boy  that  they  were  turned  direct- 
ly upon  himself.  The  idea  gave  him  an  ill-de- 
fined feeling  of  uneasiness,  and  he  was  about  to 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

beat  a  retreat,  when  the  native  rose  from  his 
posture  of  prayer  and  advanced  to  the  foot  of 
the  pedestal  on  which  the  idol  stood. 

This  was  some  five  feet  in  height,  its  dark  sur- 
face carved  in  sunken  panels.  The  huge  block 
did  not  stand  out  in  the  room  entirely,  as  its 
rear  was  firmly  imbedded  in  the  wall  behind. 
So  much  Harrie  noted  at  a  glance.  Then  his  at- 
tention was  given  wholly  to  the  movements  of 
the  old  man. 

The  latter  was  passing  his  fingers  softly  over 
the  face  of  the  stone  before  him  as  though  in 
search  of  something.  Presently  his  hand  canic 
to  a  standstill,  and  he  pressed  gently  upon  a 
small  projecting  bit  of  carving.  There  was  a 
slight  click,  followed  by  a  low  grating  sound, 
and  the  panel  dropped  slowly  from  view. 

By  this  time  the  watching  youth  was  so  deep- 
ly interested  in  the  proceedings  that  he  alto- 
gether forgot  his  need  of  caution,  and  tip-toed 
forward  until  he  could  see  over  the  native's 
shoulder  into  the  cavity  which  was  now  exposed 
to  view.  The  old  man  seemed  totally  uncon- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

scious  of  the  other's  presence,  and  put  his  right 
hand  within  the  aperture.  When  he  withdrew 
it  he  grasped  a  cluster  of  glittering  jewels  of 
marvelous  beauty,  mounted  in  a  setting  of  the 
finest  golden  filigree. 

He  held  this  lovingly  before  his  face  for  sev- 
eral moments,  caressing  it  gently  with  the  fin- 
gers of  his  left  hand,  and  muttering  to  himself 
the  while.  After  some  time  he  returned  it  to  its 
resting  place  within  the  opening,  and  drew  out 
a  second  cluster,  which  rivaled  the  first  in  rich- 
ness. This  he  replaced  in  like  manner,  and  then 
paused  with  his  arm  still  in  the  opening,  as 
though  hesitating  whether  to  remove  more  of 
the  precious  gems  stored  there.  Harrie  was 
now  barely  two  yards  away,  .and  gazing  in 
breathless  interest.  Suddenly  the  old  fellow 
withdrew  his  hand  from  the  treasure-chamber, 
and  whirling  quickly  around,  faced  the  aston- 
ished lad  with  blazing  eyes  and  a  torrent  of  un- 
intelligible words. 

Completely  bewildered  by  this  move,  for  he 
had  supposed  himself  entirely  unnoticed  by  the 

-297-- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

native,  the  boy  shrank  back  abashed  before  the 
other's  vehemence.  Brandishing  his  staff  with 
threatening  gestures  the  old  man  poured  forth 
his  volley  of  abuse  in  a  tongue  entirely  un- 
known to  his  frightened  hearer. 

Harrie  soon  recovered  his  scattered  wits, 
however,  and  began  to  edge  cautiously  away 
from  his  assailant,  hoping  to  be  able  to  escape 
by  thus  increasing  the  distance  between  them. 
But  the  native  saw  his  intention  and,  dropping 
his  staff  on  the  floor,  caught  the  lad  roughly  by 
the  shoulders,  shaking  him  until  his  teeth  fairly 
rattled. 

In  vain  Harrie  attempted  to  free  himself  from 
that  vice-like  grip.  Turn  and  twist  as  he  might, 
his  captor  retained  his  hold,  manifesting  a 
strength  entirely  unlocked  for  in  one  who  ap- 
peared so  old.  At  length  the  struggling  youth 
ceased  his  efforts,  convinced  that  they  were  fu- 
tile, and  awaited  the  next  move  of  the  tem- 
ple guardian. 

The  latter  released  his  hold  with  one  hand, 
and,  dragging  his  prisoner  by  the  other,  re- 

-298- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

turned  to  the  front  of  the  pedestal,  where  he 
touched  the  spring  which  closed  the  treasure 
chamber.  He  then  picked  up  his  fallen  staff, 
and  still  gripping  the  boy  tightly,  made  his  way 
to  a  door  which  opened  in  the  rear  wall  just  to 
the  right  of  the  image. 

The  room  which  they  now  entered  was  long 
and  narrow,  lighted  only  by  two  small  windows, 
one  on  either  side.  In  former  days  it  had  evi- 
dently been  a  dressing  room  for  the  priests  of 
the  temple,  for  a  long  stone  basin  stood  in  one 
corner,  while  from  a  round  opening  in  the  wall 
above  there  still  projected  a  bit  of  tiling,  show- 
ing that  in  olden  times  there  had  been  an  ample 
supply  of  running  water. 

A  square  hole  opened  near  the  center  of  the 
wall  at  the  back  of  the  apartment,  close  to  the 
floor.  It  was  fitted  with  a  thin  shutter  of  stone, 
running  up  and  down  in  a  grooved  track.  To- 
wards this  hole  the  old  native  dragged  his  un- 
willing victim,  and  forcing  him  to  his  knees, 
shoved  him  through  the  opening,  pushing  down 
the  slide  as  soon  as  the  boy  was  inside. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE 

After  a  moment  Harrie  cautiously  rose  to  a 
sitting  posture.  The  darkness  was  intense,  the 
air  damp  and  musty.  As  his  eyes  became  ac- 
customed to  the  gloom  he  could  make  out  a  thin 
line  of  light  where  the  shutter  met  the  floor, 
showing  that  the  former  was  not  entirely  closed. 
No  sound  came  from  without,  and  he  concluded 
that  the  native  had  immediately  taken  his  de- 
parture. 

"This  is  a  pretty  pickle,"  the  lad  muttered 
disgustedly.  ' '  This  is  what  I  get  for  poking  my 
nose  into  other  people's  business.  How  am  I  to 
get  out  of  this  hole,  I'd  like  to  know?" 

He  now  stood  up,  raising  his  arms  high  above 
his  head,  but  without  reaching  the  roof.  He  ex- 
tended his  hands  on  either  side,  to  find  that  the 
walls  were  not  more  than  five  feet  apart.  He 
held  his  arms  directly  before  him,  and  found 
that  he  could  touch  the  stonework  there  without 
moving. 

*  *  There 's  evidently  no  way  out  except  the  one 
by  which  I  came  in,"  Harrie  concluded  as  he 
finished  his  investigation.  "And  how  am  I  to 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

escape  there  ?  Can  I  push  open  the  slide !  And 
if  I  can,  how  do  I  know  that  I  shall  not  find 
some  one  on  guard  in  the  temple  1 ' ' 

He  was  silent  for  a  moment  or  two.  Then  he 
commenced  to  think  aloud  again. 

"I  wonder  where  the  old  priest— I  guess  he's 
a  priest— came  from?  Is  he  alone  here,  or  are 
there  others?  I  didn't  see  any  signs  of  natives 
around  anywhere,  so  there  can 't  be  many.  May- 
be that  old  chap  is  the  only  one  left.  Wonder 
what  he  is  going  to  do  with  me  ? 

"Who  built  these  buildings  anyhow?  None 
of  the  native  tribes  that  are  in  the  island  now, 
I'm  sure.  And  what  the  priest  said  wasn't  in 
any  of  the  dialects  we  have  met  so  far.  It's  a 
queer  business  from  start  to  finish.  I've  a 
mind  to  try  that  slide  and  see  if  I  can  open  it. ' ' 

He  took  his  knife  from  his  pocket,  opened  it, 
and,  bending  down  close  to  the  narrow  thread  of 
light  which  shone  beneath  the  shutter,  inserted 
the  blade  in  the  crack.  Then  he  lifted  slowly 
and  carefully.  At  first  there  was  no  movement 
on  the  part  of  the  slab,  but  as  he  gradually  in- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

creased  the  pressure  the  opening  widened,  un- 
til at  length  he  was  able  to  slip  his  hands  be- 
neath the  slide,  and  exert  his  full  strength. 
After  that  it  was  but  a  moment  before  he  was 
outside  the  opening,  and  had  quietly  dropped 
the  shutter  into  place  once  more. 

Harrie  drew  a  long  breath  and  glanced  anx- 
iously about  him.  The  sun  was  just  setting,  and 
the  light  in  the  room  was  dim.  No  one  was  to  be 
seen,  and  no  sound  came  from  the  temple  proper 
beyond.  With  a  light,  noiseless  tread  the  lad 
crossed  the  doorway  and  peered  out  into  the 
larger  apartment.  The  snowy  images  shone 
ghostly  white  through  the  thickening  shadows, 
but  there  were  no  signs  of  human  occupants. 

The  youth  hesitated.  The  old  priest  might 
be  lurking  somewhere  in  the  gloom  among  his 
idols.  Should  he  venture  out  at  once  ?  Or  would 
it  be  better  to  wait  a  few  moments?  Not  a 
sound  broke  the  solemn  stillness  of  the  place, 
save  his  own  quick  breathing.  Slowly  the  sec- 
onds passed  and  the  darkness  thickened  until 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

even  the  giant    marble    forms    became    mere 
patches  of  white. 

At  length  the  boy  stole  forward,  stepping  as 
lightly  as  possible,  but  even  so,  his  footfalls 
seemed  to  ring  out  in  the  quiet  with  alarming 
distinctness.  He  glanced  back  over  his  shoulder 
apprehensively.  The  golden  image  upon  its 
pedestal  of  black  marble  glimmered  faintly  in 
the  gloom,  while  its  eyes,  blood  red,  seemed  to 
wink  derisively  at  him. 

A  great  desire  to  flee  in  headlong  haste  came 
upon  the  lad,  but  he  resisted,  forcing  himself 
to  proceed  slowly  and  with  caution.  At  last  the 
portico  was  reached,  and  with  a  long  sigh  of  re- 
lief Harrie  slipped  between  the  huge  stone  pil- 
lars into  the  outer  air. 

Here  there  was  still  sufficient  light  to  reveal 
the  surrounding  objects  clearly.  The  square 
was  silent  and  deserted;  the  tall  grass  which 
grew  in  the  cracks  and  seams  of  the  pavement 
waved  gently  to  and  fro  in  the  evening  breeze. 
The  lad  could  scarce  bring  himself  to  believe 
that  his  experiences  of  the  last  two  hours  were 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

real.  Was  not  the  old  priest  a  fiction  of  his  im- 
agination after  all,  some  phantom  of  the  past 
called  up  by  the  strange  surroundings  ?  Surely 
no  human  feet  had  trod  those  stones  in  many 
long  years ! 

Harrie  paused  irresolutely,  considering  what 
was  the  best  course  to  pursue.  It  would  soon  be 
dark,  and  he  must  hurry  if  he  were  to*  gain  the 
open  plain  before  night  came.  The  safest  plan 
seemed  to  be  to  make  his  way  directly  to  the 
river,  and  to  follow  up  its  bank.  Thus  he  could 
be  sure  he  would  not  go  astray. 

He  knew  that  the  stream  lay  somewhere  in 
front  of  him,  and  no  great  distance  away.  After 
a  last  hasty  glance  about  him,  he  struck  off 
across  the  plaza.  Upon  its  opposite  sides  were 
the  ruins  of  two  larger  structures,  and  between 
them  he  passed.  To  his  surprise  a  paved  road- 
way led  on  in  the  direction  of  the  river.  Its 
massive  flagging  was  warped  and  cracked,  while 
grass  and  briers  grew  above  it,  but  it  still  af- 
forded a  pathway  through  the  jungle. 

The    youth  pressed  on  at  a  brisk  pace,  and 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

soon  saw  the  open  water  course  on  ahead.  At 
the  same  moment  he  saw  something  else  which 
caused  him  to  halt  abruptly.  It  was  the  form 
of  a  man,  standing  at  the  edge  of  the  stream, 
and  silhouetted  against  the  evening  sky. 


CHAPTEK  VIII. 

LOST  TREASURE. 

HARRIE'S  heart  beat  quickly  with  excitement  as 
he  made  the  startling  discovery,  and  he  hastily 
stepped  back  into  the  shadow  of  the  trees  at  the 
edge  of  the  roadway.  Here  he  remained,  gazing 
at  the  motionless  figure  by  the  riverside.  That 
his  own  approach  had  been  unheard  he  was  con- 
fident, for  the  man  did  not  turn*his  head,  nor  did 
he  in  any  way  give  indication  that  his  reverie 
had  been  disturbed. 

For  five  minutes  the  lad  waited  impatiently; 
then  the  dark  form  turned  and  came  down  the 
path.  As  he  passed  by,  not  ten  feet  away,  Har- 
rie  could  make  out  in  spite  of  the  darkness  the 
bent  figure  and  snowy  locks  of  the  temple  guar- 
dian. His  head  was  bowed  upon  his  breast,  and 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

the  low  murmur  of  his  voice  came  to  the  youth 's 
ears  in  the  same  monotonous  mumble  that  he 
had  noticed  earlier  in  the  day. 

When  the  retreating  footsteps  had  died  away 
in  the  distance  Harrie  ventured  to  move  for- 
ward again,  being  careful  to  keep  within  the 
sheltering  shadows  cast  by  the  trees.  He 
reached  the  river  bank  in  safety,  and  turned  to 
the  north  along  the  shore.  The  walking  was  not 
the  best,  and  he  was  a  half  hour  in  reaching  the 
open  plain  beyond  the  forest. 

Once  there,  however,  the  rest  of  his  trip  was 
quickly  made,  and  inside  of  another  thirty  min- 
utes he  approached  the  camp.  Here  he  found 
his  comrades  in  a  state  of  alarm  over  his  long 
delayed  arrival,  and  they  greeted  him  with  a 
flood  of  interrogatives. 

"Give  me  time,"  was  his  good  natured  pro- 
test, "and  J  will  tell  you  everything.  But  I 
can't  answer  all  your  questions  at  once.  Be- 
sides I'm  as  hungry  as  a  rhinocerous. " 

Not  until  he  had  eaten  his  supper  would  he 
satisfy  their  eager  curiosity.  Then,  with  his  ap- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

petite  appeased,  he  gave  a  full  account  of  the 
afternoon 's  experiences,  much  to  the  amazement 
of  his  little  audience.  Their  exclamations  of 
surprise  were  many,  and,  as  he  finished  Dr. 
Thornton  said : 

"You  are  not  joking,  are  you,  my  son?  Your 
story  hardly  seems  credible." 

"I  know  it,  father,"  the  boy  answered 
earnestly.  "And  I  don't  in  the  least  blame  you 
for  doubting  it.  But  I'm  in  sober  earnest,  and 
it  is  true,  every  word. ' ' 

The  physician  shook  his  head  doubtfully.  ' '  I 
can't  understand  it  at  all,"  he  remarked.  "I 
never  heard  of  the  existence  of  any  such  ruins  in 
the  island.  In  fact,  I  did  not  suppose  that  a 
civilized  race  had  ever  had  its  home  here. ' ' 

"But  the  interior  has  not  been  explored  to 
any  extent,  has  it  ? "  Leigh  inquired. 

* '  No.  Only  a  few  Europeans  have  penetrated 
to  any  distance  from  the  coast,"  the  gentleman 
replied.  "And  to  the  best  of  my  knowedge  no 
one  has  ever  been  in  this  section  before." 

'  *  Then  Harrie  has  made  a  very  important  dis- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

covery, ' '  cried  Mildred.  * '  Perhaps  it  will  make 
him  famous  when  he  returns  to  America." 

"Harrie  hasn't  returned  to  America  yet,  and 
may  never  arrive  there,"  the  boy  said  drily. 
"So  I  'm  afraid  that  his  fame  isn  't  very  secure 
just  at  present." 

"But  the  old  priest's  presence  is  more  inex- 
plicable than  the  ruins  themselves, ' '  Dr.  Thorn- 
ton resumed.  ' '  He  can  hardly  belong  to  the  race 
which  built  the  great  structures,  for  it  must  be 
ages  since  they  passed  away.  Yet  how  one  of 
another  tribe  came  to  be  acquainted  with  the  se- 
crets of  the  temple  I  cannot  well  make  out." 

t 

"Could  it  not  be  possible  that  the  nation  had 
gradually  become  extinct,  and  that  he  is  the  last 
surviving  member?"  questioned  Harrie.  "He 
must  be  a  man  of  eighty  or  more.  Perhaps  when 
he  was  born  there  were  still  a  few  families  left 
of  the  old  race. ' ' 

"That  is  possible,"  his  father  assented.  "And 
until  we  have  been  able  to  learn  more  about  the 
matter  it  is  the  explanation  for  us  to  adopt.  You 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

are  positive  that  there  are  no  other  natives  in 
the  old  city !" 

"I  am  not  positive,"  was  the  response,  "but 
I  hardly  think  there  are  others.  I  saw  no  in- 
dications of  their  presence  there. ' ' 

1 '  Will  you  go  to  see  the  ruins  yourself  I ' ' 
Leigh  now  inquired. 

"I  hardly  know  what  to  say  about  that,"  the 
physician  replied,  thoughtfully.  "I  should  like 
very  much  -to  do  so,  but  I  am  not  sure  that  it  is 
quite  safe.  We  must  risk  no  further  encounters 
with  the  natives. ' ' 

"I  can  see  no  great  danger,"  Harrie  put  in. 
"Even  should  the  old  priest  have  comrades 
they  must  be  few  in  numbers.  Had  there  been 
a  village  there  it  seems  to  me  that  the  inhabi- 
tants would  have  made  their  presence  known 
long  before  this.  I  believe  it  will  be  safe  for  us 
to  visit  the  town  in  a  body." 

"If  only  I  were  able  to  go  with  you,"  Leigh 
remarked  regretfully.  "I  shall  be  very  sorry 
to  miss  such  a  sight. ' ' 

"You  will  have  an    opportunity    before    we 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

leave  the  valley,'*  his  friend  said  comfortingly. 
"For  we  must  go  close  by  in  continuing  our 
journey  down  the  river." 

"That's  so,  isn't  it?"  the  lad  returned  more 
cheerfully.  "And,  by  the  way,  this  will  explain 
how  your  yam  plantation  originated." 

"So  it  does,"  Dr.  Thornton  assented.  "But 
we  will  not  decide  this  question  to-night.  It  is 
already  time  we  were  in  bed.  To-morrow  we 
will  consider  the  matter  further." 

The  next  morning  at  breakfast  the  subject 
again  came  up,  and  after  some  discussion  it  was 
decided  that  the  physician,  Harrie  and  Semessi 
should  visit  the  ruins  that  day.  Leigh  offered 
to  remain  alone  at  the  camp,  but  the  gentleman 
thought  it  best  that  Mildred  should  run  no  risks. 
Later  on,  if  all  went  well,  she,  too,  could  make 
the  trip. 

Immediately  after  the  noon  meal  had  been 
eaten  the  trio  set  forth  on  their  expedition. 
They  followed  the  river  shore  until  they  reached 
the  overgrown  street  leading  back  to  the  aban- 
doned town.  Not  a  person  was  to  be  seen,  nor 

-311— 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

was  there  the  slightest  indication  of  the  presence 
of  natives  in  the  vicinity. 

They  reached  the  deserted  square  unmolested, 
and  paused  for  the  physician  to  inspect  the  sur- 
rounding walls.  The  strong  sunlight  revealed 
the  ravages  of  time  as  the  twilight  of  the  pre- 
vious afternoon  had  not  done,  but  still  the  plaza, 
with  its  temple,  palace  and  lesser  buildings  pre- 
sented an  imposing  spectacle. 

Dr.  Thornton  stood  for  some  moments  lost  in 
admiration.  Then  he  turned  to  the  lad,  saying : 

"It  is  wonderful,  wonderful!  I  can  not  un- 
derstand it!  But  lead  on  to  the  scene  of  your 
adventures. ' ' 

"We  will  go  first  to  the  palace,"  Harrie  re- 
marked as  he  started  toward  the  structure. 
"And  I  will  show  you  the  tunnel  by  which  I  en- 
tered." 

Passing  between  the  lofty  columns  which 
adorned  the  arched  entrance,  the  party  ad- 
vanced down  the  throne  room,  the  gentleman 
halting  at  the  farther  end  to  inspect  the  four 
stone  beasts  which  upheld  the  royal  seat.  They 

-312- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

then  continued  their  way  to  the  sunken  court, 
where  Harrie  pointed  out  the  door  of  the  sub- 
terranean passage  by  which  he  had  gained  ac- 
cess to  the  regal  dwelling. 

The  large  hall  in  which  the  boy  had  first  seen 
the  old  priest  was  next  visited.  Returning 
again  to  the  court  yard  they  explored  in  turn  the 
wings  on  either  hand,  which  the  lad  had  not  en- 
tered the  previous  day.  They  were  found  to 
contain  a  large  number  of  smaller  rooms,  evi- 
dently the  residential  portion  of  the  great  build- 
ing. 

When  this  investigation  was  over  the  trio 
emerged  from  the  eastern  wing  by  a  door  which 
led  into  the  jungle  on  the  side  'farthest  from  the 
river.  Through  the  tangle  of  undergrowth 
there  could  be  seen  here  and  there  solitary  col- 
umns, ruined  arches,  bits  of  overgrown  ma- 
sonry, and  other  numerous  evidences  of  the  ex- 
tensive town  which  had  once  surrounded  the 
central  plaza. 

After  a  brief  glance  about  them  the  party 
were  turning  to  walk  around  the  palace  walls 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

to  the  square,  when  Harrie  noticed  a  narrow 
footpath  leading  off  to  the  northeast.  He  called 
his  father's  attention  to  the  well-worn  trail, 
and  urged  that  they  follow  it.  The  Doctor 
agreed  and  they  set  out  in  single  file.  They  had 
gone  but  a  faw  rods  when  a  sharp  turn  to  the 
right  brought  them  to  a  small  stone  hut  standing 
in  the  midst  of  a  tiny  garden  plot. 

Halting  in  some  surprise,  the  trio  sought  ear- 
nestly for  signs  of  life  about  the  cottage,  but  no 
one  was  stirring.  Presently  Harrie  exclaimed 
under  his  breath : 

' '  This  must  be  where  the  old  priest  lives !  I 
wonder  if  he  is  at  home  I ' ' 

Neither  of  his  comrades  could  answer  the 
question,  and  after  a  little  hesitation  they  ad- 
vanced cautiously  and  peered  in  through  the 
open,  doorway.  The  interior  was  clean  and  in- 
viting. A  small  cot  stood  in  one  corner,  a  rude 
table  occupied  the  center,  and  a  few  wooden 
stools,  dark  with  age  and  use,  were  scattered 
about.  A  primitive  fire-place  with  a  stone  chim- 
ney was  the  most  interesting  feature  of  the 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

room,  and  called  forth  a  low  exclamation  from 
the  physician.  Above  the  hearth  were  two  or 
three  stone  shelves  on  which  reposed  a  number 
of  earthen  and  metal  dishes  of  curious  shapes. 

The  trio  gazed  long  and  earnestly.  At  length, 
as  they  turned  away  Dr.  Thornton  remarked 
thoughtfully : 

"We  have  had  a  rare  privilege— that  of  look- 
ing upon  the  interior  of  a  pre-historic  dwelling. 
And  it  has  shown  that  the  men  who  erected  these 
buildings  years  ago  were  far  more  advanced  in 
civilization  than  I  had  supposed,  even  after  see- 
ing the  ruins  yonder.  It  is  all  very  wonderful. ' ' 

The  party  retraced  their  steps  down  the  foot- 
path, which  led  them  to  the  plaza,  emerging  be- 
tween the  temple  and  the  palace.  The  lad  now 
conducted  his  companions  within  the  sacred  por- 
tals to  the  dim  silence  beyond.  At  first  they  be- 
lieved themselves  to  be  alone  in  the  apartment, 
and  gave  their  attention  to  the  inspection  of  the 
singular  images  on  either  side.  'But  as  they 
reached  the  lower  end  of  the  room  Harrie  saw  a 
figure  lying  upon  the  pavement  beyond  the  altar, 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

and  just  before  the  black  marble  pedestal  of 
the  warrior  god. 

Springing  quickly  forward,  he  saw  the  body 
of  the  aged  priest  lying  prone  upon  the  floor, 
his  breast  pierced  by  a  golden  javelin.  His  cry 
of  horror  brought  his  father  to  his  side,  and, 
kneeling  down,  the  physician  made  a  hasty  ex- 
amination of  the  prostrate  form. 

"He  has  been  dead  for  some  hours,"  was 
his  announcement  as  he  rose  to  his  feet. 

"Who  could  have  done  it?"  queried  the  lad 
in  an  awed  tone. 

Dr.  Thornton  shook  his  head. 

"I  do  not  see  how  it  happened,"  he  said.  "I 
should  certainly  have  said  there  were  no  other 
natives  about." 

"Can  it  be  that  he  committed  suicide?" 
Harrie  asked. 

"I  hardly  think  so,  to  judge  from  the  posi- 
tion of  the  weapon, ' '  was  the  reply. 

The  youth  looked  at  the  image  above  him.  As 
he  did  so  he  gave  an  involuntary  cry  of  astonish- 
ment. The  spear  which  had  been  in  the  hand 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

of  the  god  on  the  previous  evening  was  no 
longer  there.  A  quick  glance  at  the  weapon  in 
the  old  man's  body  convinced  the  lad  that  it 
was  the  missing  one.  In  a  few  brief  sentences 
he  explained  this  fact  to  his  father. 

1 '  That  only  adds  to  the  mystery, ' '  was  the  lat- 
ter's  puzzled  comment.  uHow  came  the  mur- 
derer of  the  priest  by  the  javelin  I  I  confess  I 
am  all  at  sea." 

"We  must  not  leave  the  corpse  here;  why  not 
place  it  in  the  little  closet  where  I  was  impris- 
oned?" suggested  the  boy.  "It  will  answer 
nicely  for  a  tomb." 

"Very  well,"  assented  the  gentleman. 

They  raised  the  dead  man  tenderly  in  their 
arms  and  bore  him  to  the  inner  room.  The  slide 
was  open,  giving  evidence  that  the  priest  had 
discovered  Harrie's  escape.  Before  placing  the 
body  within  its  strange  grave  it  was  necessary 
to  remove  the  spear.  Then  the  stone  shutter 
was  tightly  closed  and  wedged  in  place,  after 
which  they  returned  to  the  temple  proper. 

"I  wonder  if  I  can  find  the  spring  which  opens 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

the  treasure  chamber?"  Harrie  remarked 
when  they  once  more  stood  before  the  idol. 
"Let  me  see." 

He  passed  his  hands  slowly  over  the  raised 
work  at  the  right  side  of  the  pedestal,  as  he  had 
seen  the  native  do,  pressing  each  projecting 
knob  which  seemed  likely  to  release  the  hidden 
spring.  When  about  half  way  down  the  block 
one  of  the  tiny  points  yielded  to  the  boy's  touch, 
and  he  cried  exultingly : 

"I  have  it!    I  have  it!" 

But  the  panel  did  not  move.  Instead  the  up- 
raised arm  of  the  god  shot  suddenly  forward,  as 
though  launching  an  imaginary  weapon.  The 
Americans  gazed  in  bewilderment  for  an  instant. 
Then  as  the  arm  returned  to  its  former  position, 
Dr.  Thornton  exclaimed : 

"It  is  all  clear  now!  That  explains  the  man- 
ner of  the  priest's  death.  He  touched  this 
spring  by  mistake  and  the  idol  flung  the  spear 
which  ended  his  "life." 

"What  a  strange  fate!"  said  Harrie.  "To 
be  slain  by  the  same  god  whom  he  was  trying  to 

-318— 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

serve.  It  is  right  in  keeping  with  the  rest  of  the 
singular  affair ! ' '  and  he  glanced  up  at  the  gold- 
en image,  whose  deep  red  eyes  seemed  to  wink 
derisively  at  him. 

After  a  moment  he  turned  again  to  the  pedes- 
tal and  continued  his  search  for  £he  other  spring. 
He  was  not  long  in  finding  it,  not  far  from  the 
one  he  had  already  discovered.  At  his  touch 
the  panel  dropped  slowly  from  view.  The  cavity 
within  was  dark,  and  Harrie  thrust  his  hands  in- 
side, moving  his  fingers  carefully  over  the  floor 
and  walls.  Presently  he  withdrew  his  arm  and 
said  with  a  queer  look  on  his  face : 

" There  are  no  jewels  there!  The  treasure 
chamber  is  empty!" 


CHAPTER  IX. 

A  FATAL  MISTAKE. 

DR.  THORNTON  received  his  son's  announcement 
quietly.  There  had  been  so  many  surprising 
developments  already  that  he  was  prepared  for 
almost  anything  which  might  happen.  So  he 
merely  nodded  his  head  as  the  lad  went  on : 

"The  old  priest,  when  he  discovered  my  es- 
cape, must  have  removed  the  jewels  immediate- 
ly. But  then  why  did  he  return  here  and  so 
meet  his  death?  I  had  supposed  that  he  was 
trying  to  remove  the  treasure  when  he  touched 
the  wrong  spring." 

"Possibly  he  was  aware  of  its  existence,  and 
purposely  took  that  way  of  ending  his  life," 
suggested  his  father. 

"Or  he  may  have  removed  the  jewels  and  se- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

creted  them  in  his  clothing,  and  then,  in  endeav- 
oring to  close  the  panel,  he  may  have  made  the 
mistake  which  cost  him  his  life,"  the  youth 
went  on. 

"Your  explanation  is  a  plausible  one,"  the 
physician  assented.  "It  could,  moreover,  be 
easily  verified  by  examining  the  body.  But  I 
do  not  care  to  make  such  an  investigation. 

"No  indeed,"  Harrie  rejoined  decidedly. 
"Let  the  treasure  go.  I  should  always  fear  some 
disaster  if  it  were  in  our  possession.  And  it 
really  makes  little  difference  how  the  old  man 
met  his  death— whether  intentionally  or  by  ac- 
cident. We  can  be  pretty  sure  that  no  one  but 
himself  is  responsible. ' ' 

During  all  this  time  Semessi  had  remained 
standing  silent  and  motionless  in  the  center  of 
the  temple.  Now,  however,  he  stepped  forward 
and  remarked  in  a  low  tone : 

*  *  Day  most  gone.    Better  go  back  camp. ' ' 

Dr.  Thornton  took  out  his  watch  and  glanced 
quickly  at  it. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"You  are  right,"  he  said  as  he  returned  the 
time-piece  to  his  pocket.  "It  will  soon  be  sun- 
down. We  cannot  remain  here  longer.  Come 
Harrie, ' '  and  he  led  the  way  from  the  building. 

The  walk  back  to  camp  was  a  silent  one.  Both 
the  lad  and  his  father  had  been  deeply  stirred  by 
the  scenes  of  the  afternoon,  and  were  in  no  mood 
for  conversation.  A  dull  feeling  of  gloom  and 
danger  had  settled  upon  them,  which  they  could 
not  throw  off.  As  for  the  chief,  he  was  habit- 
ually taciturn. 

They  reached  the  hut  just  at  dusk  to  find  the 
evening  meal  in  readiness,  and  as  they  gathered 
in  a  circle  about  the  fire  to  partake  of  the  savory 
food  the  physician  gave  an  account  of  their  ex- 
periences. 

"So  you  lost  the  treasure  after  all,"  re- 
marked Leigh,  who  had  been  brought  from  his 
couch  in  the  hut,  as  the  gentleman  closed  his 
recital.  "It  is  too  bad,  and  yet  as  you  say,  I 
don't  believe  I  should  care  to  have  the  jewels 
around,  even  if  I  knew  where  to  find  them." 

' '  How  strange  the  whole  affair  has  been, ' '  was 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

Mildred's  comment.  "From  the  very  first 
glimpse  that  Harrie  had  of  the  ruins  until  this 
afternoon,  everything  has  been  unusual  and  un- 
accountable. It  is  almost  uncanny. ' ' 

"That  just  expresses  the  feeling  that  I  have 
had  myself,"  the  youth  declared.  "It  has 
seemed  uncanny— unreal." 

With  that  the  conversation  turned  to  other 
matters.  But  it  was  often  referred  to  during 
the  following  weeks.  The  days  passed  very 
quietly  and  uneventfully  for  the  most  part.  The 
hunting  trips  were  resumed,  and  baskets  were 
made  for  the  carrying  of  the  growing  store  of 
dried  meat  when  the  journey  should  be  con- 
tinued. 

Leigh  steadily  gained  strength,  and  at  the  end 
of  the  seventh  week  he  was  able  to  hobble  about 
the  camp  with  the  aid  of  two  canes  which  Harrie 
had  cut  for  him  in  the  grove.  Dr.  Thornton  de- 
clared however  that  he  must  wait  at  least  three 
weeks  more  before  it  would  be  safe  for  him  to 
attempt  the  hard  walking  which  their  march 
would  entail. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

One  morning  about  the  middle  of  the  eighth 
week  Semessi  was  missing  when  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  party  awoke.  At  first  they  thought 
litle  of  his  absence,  believing  that  he  had  risen 
early  in  order  to  visit  his  snares  across  the 
river.  But  as  time  passed  and  he  did  not  re- 
turn, they  became  anxious.  Breakfast  was  eat- 
en without  the  chief,  and  his  comrades  went 
about  their  various  tasks. 

Not  until  the  forenoon  was  well  advanced  did 
he  put  in  an  appearance.  Then  he  walked  quietly 
up  to  the  hut  and  asked  for  something  to  eat.  In 
reply  to  the  eager  questions  of  the  lads  as  to 
where  he  had  been  he  said  briefly : 

" Went  down  river.  Got  canoe." 

' '  You  went  down  the  river  and  got  a  canoe ! ' ' 
cried  Harrie  incredulously.  "When  did  you 
start,  pray?" 

"Last  night,  after  all  'sleep,"  was  the  reply. 

And  nothing  further  could  be  ascertained 
from  him  until  after  he  had  eaten.  When  at 
length  his  hunger  had  been  satisfied  the  physi- 
cian turned  to  Mildred,  saying: 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

"Find  out  where  he  has  been  and  his  object 
in  going,  please.  It  will  be  a  much  quicker 
way  than  for  him  to  tell  us  his  story  in  Eng- 
lish. " 

The  girl  readily  assented,  and  a  conversation 
of  some  length  in  the  native  tongue  ensued.  At 
its  close  Mildred  briefly  informed  her  compan- 
ions of  the  main  facts  in  the  old  chief's  narra- 
tive. 

"Last  evening,  after  we  had  all  gone  to  bed," 
she  began,  ' '  Semessi  rose  and  went  to  the  Tiver. 
There  he  secured  a  log,  and  sitting  astride  of  it, 
he  set  out  down  the  stream  on  a  scouting  trip. 
He  went  seven  or  eight  miles  without  finding 
any  trace  of  natives.  Then  he  came  to  a  large 
village  built  out  in  the  stream. 

"Leaving  his  log,  he  swam  in  around  the 
houses.  All  the  villagers  were  asleep  and  not 
even  the  dogs  noticed  his  coming.  He  inspected 
a  number  of  canoes,  and  selected  one  which  he 
thought  would  serve  us  in  continuing  our  voy- 
age. This  he  loosed  from  its  fastenings,  and 
pushed  before  him  until  he  was  well  out  into  the 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

river.  Then  he  clambered  on  board  and  pad- 
dled back  up  stream.  The  boat  was  so  large  that 
his  progress  was  slow,  and  therefore  it  was  not 
until  a  short  time  ago  that  he  reached  the  shore 
opposite  the  camp." 

"What  suggested  the  idea  to  him?"  inquired 
Dr.  Thornton. 

"He  said  he  knew  that  Leigh  would  never  be 
able  to  stand  the  rough  walking  with  his  injured 
limb,  and  so  thought  that  he  would  try  to  obtain 
a  canoe, ' '  the  girl  explained. 

"It  was  certainly  very  'thoughtful, "  said  the 
gentleman,  * '  and  while  I  do  not  as  a  usual  thing 
approve  of  appropriating  another  man's  pro- 
perty without  his  consent,  I  think  that  under 
these  circumstances  the  act  was  justifiable." 
And  turning  to  the  chief  he  thanked  him 
heartily. 

' '  Let  us  go  and  see  the  canoe, ' '  suggested 
Leigh  eagerly.  "Is  it  a  large  one,  Semessi!" 

"Come  and  see,"  was  the  laconic  answer. 

The  entire  party  accordingly  made  their  way 
to  the  river  bank,  where  they  found  the  "boat. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

moored  in  a  clump  of  overhanging  bushes.  It 
proved  to  be  much  larger  than  the  one  they 
had  lost,  and  well  suited  to  their  wants.  It  was 
supplied,  moreover,  with  four  paddles,  a  fact 
which  the  physician  noted  with  satisfaction. 

"It  is  just  the  thing,"  he  declared,  "and  ren- 
ders the  remainder  of  our  trip  easy  and  pleas- 
ant. Then,  too,  it  will  lessen  the  time  nearly  one 
half." 

"How  soon  will  you  start?"  asked  Harrie. 

"Tomorrow,"  was  the  prompt  response. 
"There  is  no  longer  any  reason  for  delay." 

'  *  Will  you  travel  by  day  or  at  night  ? ' '  queried 
the  other  lad. 

"We  will  be  obliged  to  start  after  dark,  in 
order  to  pass  the  village  in  safety, ' '  Dr.  Thorn- 
ton made  answer.  "Later  on  we  may  find  it 
possible  to  do  our  voyaging  during  the  day. ' ' 

The  rest  of  the  day  was  filled  with  the  bustle 
of  preparation.  The  supplies  of  smoked  flesh 
and  fish  were  overhauled  and  packed  in  the  bas- 
kets which  had  been  made  for  the  purpose.  A 
fresh  supply  of  yams  was  obtained  from  the 

-327- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

plantation  which  had  furnished  them  during  the 
stay  at  the  camp,  and  other  necessary  arrange- 
ments were  made.  Night  found  the  party  still 
at  work,  and  not  until  darkness  fell  did  their 
labors  cease.  Early  the  next  morning  they  were 
at  it  again  and  by  noon  the  little  craft  was  in 
readiness  for  the  long  voyage  to  the  sea. 

When  the  midday  meal  had  been  eaten,  the 
last  at  the  hut  which  had  for  nearly  two  months 
been  a  pleasant  home  to  the  wanderers,  they 
embarked  in  the  canoe,  and  pushed  out  into  the 
stream.  The  reason  for  this  early  start  was  the 
desire  of  Leigh  and  Mildred  to  visit  the  ruined 
city  before  they  left  the  valley. 

When,  therefore,  the  boat  was  opposite  the 
end  of  the  paved  roadway,  it  was  brought  in- 
shore and  made  fast  to  the  bank.  Semessi  re- 
mained on  guard  while  his  comrades  made  their 
tour  of  the  ancient  town.  Until  sundown  they 
wandered  among  the  deserted  halls,  inspecting 
with  eager  curiosity  these  decaying  monuments 
of  a  vanished  race. 

At  length  they  returned  to  the  canoe,  and  the 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

evening  meal  was  prepared  and  eaten  on  shore. 
Not  until  darkness  had  completely  enshrouded 
the  valley  in  its  folds  was  the  advance  resumed. 
Urged  on  by  the  combined  power  of  current  and 
paddles,  the  little  craft  made  good  speed,  and 
the  miles  were  rapidly  left  behind.  Before  mid- 
night the  native  village  was  reached  and  passed 
in  safety,  and  returning  day  found  the  voyagers 
far  from  their  former  camp. 

For  two  weeks  the  voyage  continued  without 
interruption.  The  party  traveled  almost  en- 
tirely by  night,  keeping  well  out  in  the  stream, 
and  while  their  progress  was  not  so  great  as  if 
they  had  been  able  to  take  advantage  of  the  day- 
light hours,  yet  the  difference  was  more  than 
offset  by  the  feeling  of  security  which  they 
gained. 

Once  only  were  they  in  danger  of  discovery 
by  the  tribesmen.  This  was  when  they  had  been 
about  ten  days  on  their  cruise.  As  dawn  .came 
on  the  canoe  was  directed  into  a  little  cove 
which  opened  upon  the  .right,  and  there  snugly 
concealed  beneath  the  thick  foliage  which  hung 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

over  the  bank.  The  party  themselves  made 
their  camp  in  a  glade  near  by.  When  the  morn- 
ing meal  had  been  disposed  of  all  except  Harrie 
lay  down  for  their  usual  rest. 

The  lad  was  walking  up  and  down  the  tiny 
opening,  endeavoring  in  this  way  to  keep  him- 
self awake,  for  he  was  very  sleepy,  when  he 
thought  he  heard  the  sound  of  voices  in  the  dis- 
tance. He  paused  in  his  march  and  listened  in- 
tently. He  had  not  been  mistaken;  there  was 
some  one  not  far  away.  Obeying  a  sudden  una- 
countable  impulse  he  threw  himself  noiselessly 
upon  the  ground. 

The  voices  came  nearer,  and  presently  a  band 
of  natives  filed  by  not  three  rods  away  from  the 
prostrate  youth.  When  they  were  well  out  of 
hearing  Harrie  crept  forward  to  the  edge  of 
the  intervening  thicket  and  peered  through.  To 
his  consternation  there  was  a  well  defined  trail 
leading  off  in  either  direction  through  the  bush. 
Having  ascertained  this  fact,  the  boy  hurriedly 
awoke  his  companions  and  acquainted  them  with 
the  danger. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

What  to  do  was  the  question.  To  remain 
where  they  were  was  to  risk  discovery,  for  had 
the  campers  been  moving  about  the  clearing  the 
natives  would  surely  have  noticed  their  pres- 
ence. Yet  to  venture  out  on  the  river  with  the 
tribesmen  in  the  near  vicinity  would  be  to  invite 
an  attack. 

It  was  at  length  decided  to  retire  to  the  canoe 
and  pass  the  remainder  of  the  day  in  it,  trusting 
to  the  dense  foliage  to  conceal  them  from  chance 
passers-by.  Accordingly  this  plan  was  carrried 
out,  and  fortunately  for  the  travelers  it  proved 
successful.  But  it  was  with  a  great  feeling  of  re- 
lief that  they  took  their  departure  from  the 
dangerous  locality  that  evening. 

They  now  began  to  feel  the  influence  of  the 
tides  on  the  river  current,  and  this  at  times  be- 
came an  added  hindrance  to  their  advance. 
Their  night  voyages,  the  caution  they  were 
obliged  to  exercise,  and  finally  the  tides,  all  com- 
bined to  delay  their  progress  towards  the  coast. 
But  since  they  were  well  supplied  with  food,  the 
wanderers  were  content  so  long  as  they  escaped 

-331- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

any  conflict  with  the  various  tribes  along  the 
route. 

As  they  drew  nearer  the  sea  the  party  found  a 
new  danger  confronting  them,  and  one  which 
rendered  their  situation  most  unpleasant.  This 
lay  in  the  crocodiles  with  which  the  river 
swarmed,  and  ugly  looking  creatures  they  were 
with  their  great,  ungainly  bodies,  long  tails  and 
hideous  snouts. 

More  than  once  they  approached  uncomfort- 
ably close  to  the  canoe,  as  though  to  investigate 
the  bold  invaders  of  their  allotted  realm,  and  on 
one  occasion  a  big  fellow  came  near  upsetting 
the  craft  in  his  curiosity  to  find  out  what  was  in- 
side. In  the  darkness  their  rough  bodies  float- 
ing on  the  surface  could  with  difficulty  be  dis- 
tinguished from  drifting  timber,  and  the  voy- 
agers were  careful  to  give  all  such  objects  a  wide 
berth.  Yet  they  were  destined  to  have  an  en- 
counter with  the  saurians  in  spite  of  their  en- 
deavors. 

It  happened  on  the  sixteenth  day  after  leav- 
ing the  valley.  Dawn  was  at  hand,  and  the 

—332- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

party,  as  was  their  custom,  had  sought  a  refuge 
on  shore.  Barely  had  the  canoe  touched  the 
beach  when  Semessi  leaped  out,  and  leaving  his 
comrades  to  draw  the  craft  up  out  of  reach  of 
the  waves,  started  along  the  margin  of  the  for- 
est in  search  of  the  fuel  for  their  fire.  Noticing 
what,  in  the  dim  morning  light,  appeared  to  be 
a  prostrate  tree  trunk  he  hastened  towards  it, 
thinking  to  find  near  it  the  smaller  wood  for 
which  he  was  seeking. 

Not  until  he  was  almost  upon  the  dark  mass 
did  he  discover  his  mistake.  Then  he  realized 
too  late  that  the  seeming  log  was  an  immense 
crocodile,  which  had  been  lying  in  wait  for  its 
prey.  It  now  turned  and  rushed  savagely  at 
the  chief,  who  in  his  terrrified  flight  stumbled 
and  fell  before  he  had  taken  a  half  dozen  steps. 


CHAPTER  X. 

DARK  DAYS. 

Before  Semessi  could  regain  his  feet  the  cro- 
codile was  upon  him,  and,  seizing  one  of  the 
chief's  legs  in  his  huge  jaws,  dragged  him  to- 
ward the  river.  But  he  was  not  to  carry  off  his 
prey  unhindered.  Dr.  Thornton  and  the  lads 
had  seen  their  comrade 's  danger,  and  now  came 
to  his  aid. 

Unarmed  as  they  were,  except  for  the  light 
bows  and  arrows,  which  were  scarcely  better 
than  nothing  against  the  rough  armor-like  skin 
of  the  reptile,  they  hastened  to  the  attack.  By 
the  time  they  reached  the  scene  the  crocodile 
had  nearly  gained  the  water.  Not  a  moment 
was  to  be  lost,  for  once  the  animal  was  within  its 
native  element  all  hope  would  be  gone. 

-334- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

It  was  Harrie  who,  with  his  usual  promptness 
of  thought  and  action,  rushed  in  between  the 
monster  and  the  river  with  loud  cries,  thus  in- 
tercepting its  advance.  He  realized  that  so  long 
as  he  kept  beyond  the  reach  of  its  tail  he  was 
safe,  for  its  mouth  was  fast  closed  upon  the  limb 
of  the  hapless  victim. 

The  latter,  notwithstanding  the  intense  pain 
which  he  was  suffering,  retained  his  presence 
of  mind,  and  now,  as  his  captor  turned  aside  to 
avoid  the  shouting  youth,  he  called  out  quickly : 

' '  Shoot  for  eye !     shoot  for  eye ! " 

Instantly  the  lad  divined  Semessi's  meaning, 
and  raised  the  bow  which  he  held  in  his  hand, 
already  strung.  Taking  aim  hastily,  he  fired. 
The  crocodile  made  a  sudden  lunge  forward  just 
as  he  did  so,  and  the  arrow  rattled  harmlessly 
against  its  mailed  skin.  Again  Harrie  fitted 
a  shaft  to  his  bow,  and  stepping  close  up  to  the 
hideous  head,  let  drive.  Straight  into  the  eye 
socket  the  weapon  sped,  and,  with  a  hoarse  bel- 
low of  rage,  the  reptile,  releasing  its  hold  upon 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

the  chief,  plunged  blindly  forward  toward  the 
water,  now  but  a  few  feet  away. 

As  he  went  he  lashed  furiously  to  right  and 
left  with  his  powerful  tail,  striking  Dr.  Thorn- 
ton a  blow  which  sent  him  spinning  across  the 
beach,  to  land  in  a  confused  heap  at  the  edge  of 
the  forest.  Meanwhile  Harrie  had  seized  Se- 
messi,  and  dragged  him  out  of  the  way. 

But  the  battle  was  over.  The  crocodile,  evi- 
dently deeming  its  enemies  too  numerous  for  a 
successful  struggle,  disappeared  in  the  stream, 
and  was  not  seen  again.  The  physician  picked 
himself  up,  well  shaken  and  considerably 
bruised,  but  otherwise  uninjured  by  his  unex- 
pected tumble,  and  came  forward  to  care  for  the 
wounded  chief. 

The  latter  had  lapsed  into  unconciousness, 
and  Dr.  Thornton  shook  his  head  gravely  as  he 
kneeled  beside  the  apparently  lifeless  form.  The 
right  leg  was  frightfully  mangled  just  above  the 
knee,  where  it  had  been  crunched  between  the 
powerful  jaws  of  the  saurian,  and  the  blood  was 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

pouring  from  the  hurt  in  a  stream  which  dyed 
the  ground  a  deep  red. 

The  gentleman  issued  a  few  rapid  orders,  and 
worked  heroically  to  stop  the  bleeding.  But 
with  the  scanty  resources  at  hand  he  was  una- 
ble to  accomplish  his  purpose.  At  length  he 
looked  up  at  his  helpers  and  announced  sadly: 

"I  can  do  no  more.  He  has  already  lost  so 
much  blood  that  recovery  would  be  doubtful 
even  had  I  the  best  of  medical  appliances  at 
hand.  As  it  is  all  we  can  do  now  is  to  make  the 
sufferer  as  comfortable  as  possible  until  the  end 
comes. ' ' 

Silently  and  with  grief  stricken  faces  the  lit- 
tle party  moved  about,  ministering  to  the  dying 
chief.  In  their  long,  perilous  journey  from  the 
mountain  fastness  they  had  come  to  know  the 
loyal  heart  which  beat  within  the  dusky  form, 
and  to  cherish  a  deep  regard  and  love  for  the 
old  man  who  had  proven  himself  so  faithful  a 
friend. 

To  Mildred  especially  was  the  blow  a  trying 
one.  Since  early  childhood  Semessi  had  stood 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

in  a  father's  place  to  the  young  girl,  loving  her 
more  than  life  itself.  And  now  he  was  the  last 
tie  which  bound  her  to  the  old  life.  Who  could 
tell  what  the  new  one  opening  before  her  would 
bring?  Would  she  find  her  own  parent  in  the 
far  away  America,  or  would  she,  too,  perish 
by  the  way,  as  Koloka  had  done,  and  as  the  chief 
was  so  soon  to  do  1 

At  intervals  the  patient  regained  conscious- 
ness, and  at  such  times  his  glance  invariably 
sought  for  the  face  of  the  young  maid,  to  whom 
he  murmured  low  toned  sentences  in  the  native 
tongue.  Then  he  would  again  become  insensi- 
ble to  his  surroundings  and  lie  as  one  dead,  with 
only  the  faint  flutterings  of  his  pulse  to  show 
that  he  still  lived. 

As  the  morning  wore  away  the  dying  man 
became  weaker  and  weaker.  For  a  long  time  he 
lay  motionless,  without  opening  his  eyes.  Just 
as  the  sun  reached  the  meridian  he  roused  again, 
and,  with  a  last  fond  smile  of  farewell  to  Mil- 
dred, the  loyal  loving  spirit  left  its  earthly 
dwelling  forever. 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

The  grief  of  the  little  band  was  deep  and  real, 
but  circumstances  demanded  that  it  be  put  aside 
in  order  that  their  own  safety  should  have  im- 
mediate attention.  Quietly  but  speedily  the  last 
sad  rites  were  performed,  and  the  body  was  laid 
to  rest  in  a  grave  just  within  the  edge  of  the  for- 
est. 

It  was  mid-afternoon  when  the  wanderers 
turned  mournfully  away  from  the  low  mound, 
and  no  food  had  passed  their  lips  since  the  pre- 
vious evening.  Therefore  a  meal  was  hastily 
prepared,  and  all  forced  themselves  to  partake 
of  the  nourishment  for  which  they  had  no  desire. 
Then,  with  hearts  heavy  and  sore,  they  set  forth 
once  more  on  their  sorrowful  way. 

The  next  morning  found  them  unable  to  make 
a  landing  because  of  the  swampy  nature  of  the 
shores  upon  either  side  of  the  river.  Dense 
thickets  of  mangroves  grew  in  the  marshy  soil, 
their  roots  reaching  far  out  into  the  water,  while 
their  drooping  branches  dipped  in  the  stream. 
This  compelled  the  voyagers  to  continue  their 
advance  during  the  day,  a  fact  which  gave  them 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

some  little  uneasiness.  Fortunately,  however, 
no  natives  were  met  with. 

Another  disaster  befell  the  travelers  which 
for  a  time  assumed  a  most  serious  aspect.  The 
supplies  of  smoked  fish  and  game  which  they 
had  brought  with  them,  in  this  later  stage  of 
their  journey,  under  the  action  of  the  heat  and 
the  humid  air  of  the  river,  became  unfit  for  food, 
while  the  water  of  the  stream  was  so  brackish  as 
to  be  altogether  unpalatable.  Thus  left  without 
food  and  drink,  and  unable  to  go  on  shore  in 
search  of  either,  their  condition  was  indeed  a 
hard  one. 

Upon  the  second  day  Leigh  made  a  discovery 
which  in  a  measure  relieved  this  situation.  As 
the  canoe  was  proceeding  at  a  slow  rate  not  far 
from  the  overhanging  mangrove  boughs  the  lad 
noticed  that  their  tips,  where  they  touched  the 
water,  seemed  to  be  encrusted  with  a  dingy 
white  growth.  He  called  the  attention  of  his 
comrades  to  the  fact,  and  the  boat  was  brought 
in  nearer  for  a  better  view.  Then  they  saw  that 
the.  strange  looking  bunches  were  in  reality  clus- 

-340- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

ters  of  small  oysters  clinging  to  the  submerged 
twigs. 

Harrie  promptly  tested  their  food  properties, 
and  pronounced  them  excellent.  It  took  but  a 
short  time  to  gather  a  quantity  of  the  bivalves 
sufficient  to  furnish  a  number  of  meals  for  the 
entire  party,  and  much  encouraged  by  this  un- 
expected relief  they  pushed  on  with  renewed 
vigor. 

Shortly  after  noon  the  canoe  emerged  from 
the  river  into  a  large  bay.  On  either  hand  the 
shore  stretched  away  in  a  curve  of  glistening 
white.  Near  at  hand  the  coast  was  low  and  flat, 
but  in  the  distance  a  range  of  wooded  hills  was 
to  be  seen.  The  bay  widened  before  them,  its 
broad  expanse  dotted  with  numerous  islands, 
some  mere  patches  of  gleaming  sand,  others 
larger  and  covered  with  the  luxuriant  vegeta* 
tion  of  the  tropics.  A  light  breeze  ruffled  the 
surface  of  the  water  into  tiny,  white-capped 
waves,  while  over  all  the  sun  poured  his  bril- 
liant rays. 

"At  last  our  long  journey  is  over,"  Leigh 

-341- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

cried  exultingly.  "We  have  done  what  no 
other  living  persons  have  done— crossed  New 
Guinea. ' ' 

"I'm  not  at  all  sure  that  our  journey  is  over, 
by  a  good  deal,"  objected  Harrie.  "Though 
I  '11  admit  the  truth  of  your  last  statement  with- 
out dispute." 

"Well,  the  hardest  part  of  the  trip  is  past," 
the  first  speaker  contended  stoutly,  '  *  and  that  is 
what  I  meant.  It  can't  take  such  a  very  great 
length  of  time  for  us  to  find  some  settlement 
now  that  we  have  reached  the  coast. ' ' 

"We  certainly  have  every  reason  to  congrat- 
ulate ourselves  on  the  fact  that  we  have  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  the  southern  shores  of  the 
island,"  interposed  Dr.  Thornton.  "But  we 
must  not  forget  that  there  are  still  long  miles 
between  us  and  safety. ' ' 

"You  see,"  he  went  on  after  a  moment, "while 
the  settlements  along  this  coast  are  much  more 
numerous  than  on  the  north,  yet  they  are  many 
miles  apart.  Then,  again,  the  native  popula- 
tion is  much  larger  here  than  there,  so  that  we 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

run  a  greater  risk  of  an  encounter  with  them. ' ' 

1  'Whew!"  ejaculated  Leigh.  "I  guess  I  was 
a  trifle  over-confident,  wasn't  I?  But  it  does 
seem  good  to  see  the  ocean  once  more. ' ' 

1 1 Which  way  will  you  go  now?"  Mildred  in- 
quired. 

"That  is  just  what  I  can  not  decide,"  the 
gentleman  returned  frankly.  * '  We  know  so  lit- 
tle of  our  real  location,  that  it  makes  the  prob- 
lem a  difficult  one.  We  must  be  well  to  the 
westward,  however,  and  there  would  seem  to  be 
better  chances  of  reaching  some  trading  station 
by  keeping  to  the  east.  But  I  should  like  the 
opinion  of  the  rest  of  you  on  the  subject." 

* '  I  guess  we  haven 't  any, ' '  said  Harrie  with  a 
short  laugh.  "I'm  sure  that  I  haven't  much 
idea  as  to  where  we  are,  or  which  way  we  ought 
to  go.  I'm  more  nearly  lost  here  than  when  we 
were  in  the  interior.  Then  I  knew  that  we  must 
come  to  the  south.  Now  I  don't  know  which 
way  to  turn. ' ' 

'  *  The  same  here, ' '  his  friend  joined  in.  *  *  We 
will  have  to  leave  it  entirely  to  you,  Doctor. 

-343- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

You  go  ahead,  and  we  will  accept  your  plans. ' ' 
"Very  well,  then,"  responded  the  physician. 
"We  will  go  to  the  east.  And  I  trust  that  we 
shall  not  run  in  with  any  warlike  natives  along 
our  way." 

In  accordance  with  this  decision  the  canoe 
was  turned  and  the  party  proceeded  along  the 
shore  with  their  backs  to  the  setting  sun.  While 
the  waves  were  not  large,  they  tossed  the  rude 
craft  about  in  a  most  unceremonious  way.  The 
current  was  also  strong,  and  so  their  advance 
was  not  at  a  satisfactory  rate.  They  had  bare- 
ly rounded  the  headland  which  marked  the 
eastern  limit  of  the  bay,  when  the  darkness  was 
upon  them. 

The  water,  too,  was  rougher  here  than  within 
the  harbor,  and  the  travelers  were  soon  glad  to 
turn  their  bow  towards  the  beach,  intending  to 
go  ashore  for  the  night.  As  they  drew  near  the 
tossing  line  of  surf,  however,  their  hearts  failed 
them.  Would  their  frail  canoe  stand  the  batter- 
ing it  would  receive  in  the  passage  ?  It  seemed 
doubtful. 

-344- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

There  was  nothing  to  be  done  but  to  go  on, 
and  summoning  what  courage  they  possessed 
the  party  awaited  the  outcome  of  the  venture. 
The  boat  reached  the  foaming  surf,  and  was 
soon  bobbing  and  plunging  wildly  in  the  seeth- 
ing waters.  Wave  after  wave  came  dashing 
after  them,  threatening  to  overwhelm  them  in 
the  onward  sweep,  but  still  the  canoe  remained 
upright. 

They  were  already  nearing  the  beach,  when 
a  billow  larger  than  any  of  its  predecessors 
came  rushing  landward.  It  caught  the  craft  in 
its  powerful  grasp,  overturning  it  completely, 
and  rolling  the  passengers  high  up  on  the  sands. 

Breathless  and  gasping  they  struggled  to 
their  feet,  simply  to  be  bowled  over  by  the  next 
inrush  of  water.  A  second  and  a  third  time 
they  went  down  beneath  the  resistless  sweep  of 
the  waves,  but  at  length  they  emerged,  and 
made  their  way  to  a  place  of  safety  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  tide. 

When  they  had  somewhat  recovered  them- 
selves the  castaways  glanced  about  in  search  of 

-345- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

the  canoe.  Its  broken  and  battered  fragments 
were  tossing  amid  the  foam,  damaged  beyond 
repair.  Nor  was  this  their  only  loss.  Bows, 
arrows,  the  few  yams  still  remaining  to  them, 
all  were  gone. 

It  was  a  discouraged  and  disheartened  party 
that  took  shelter  under  a  hastily  constructed 
windbreak  for  the  night.  Without  food,  with- 
out fire,  possessing  no  weapons  with  which  to 
secure  game,  miles  from  the  nearest  settlement, 
their  position  semed  as  hopeless  as  it  well  could 
be. 

The  miserable  hours  dragged  themselves 
away,  and  morning  came  at  last,  clear  and  beau- 
tiful. But  the  castaways  were  in  no  mood  to 
appreciate  the  glories  of  nature.  They  were 
nearer  to  despair  than  ever  they  had  been  be- 
fore in  all  their  long  chain  of  perilous  experi- 
ences. Especially  was  this  true  of  Mildred, 
who  had  kept  up  a  cheerful  courage  in  spite  of 
the  many  unpleasant  situations  in  which  she  had 
been  placed.  Now  she  seemed  to  lose  all  inter- 
est in  their  struggle  for  deliverance,  appearing 

-846- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

listless  and  unresponsive  to  the  efforts  the  lads 
made  to  turn  her  attention  toward  the  brighter 
side  of  the  picture. 

Dr.  Thornton  watched  the  young  girl  with 
growing  anxiety,  as  during  the  day  they  toiled 
along  the  burning  sands  towards  the  east,  with 
frequent  pauses  for  rest  in  the  shade  of  the 
forest  which  lined  the  shore.  The  heat  was  in- 
tense, and  the  glare  from  the  glistening  beach 
was  most  trying  to  the  eyes.  Faint  with  hunger 
and  thirst  the  band  pressed  on,  hoping  against 
hope,  gazing  ahead  with  eager  eyes,  as  they 
rounded  each  turn  in  the  shore,  for  signs  of  the 
settlement  which  never  appeared. 

For  two  days  the  advance  continued,  the  only 
food  secured  being  a  few  shell  fish  and  a  couple 
of  small  birds  which  the  lads  brought  down 
with  stones.  The  latter  were  eaten  raw,  as  their 
last  match  had  been  used  some  time  before.  As 
the  second  afternoon  drew  to  a  close  the  pace 
became  slower  and  slower  until  it  seemed  as 
though  the  wanderers  barely  moved  over  the 
baking  sands. 

-347- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

The  long,  white  curve  of  the  beach  reeled  diz- 
zily before  their  blood-shot  eyes  in  the  shimmer- 
ing heat,  and  their  lips  were  black  and  cracking 
from  thirst.  At  length  Mildred  stumbled  and 
fell.  Her  companions  were  at  her  side  in  an 
instant ,  their  own  misery  forgotten  for  the 
moment  in  their  anxiety  for  the  maiden,  who 
lay  moaning  feebly. 

Tenderly  the  lads  raised  her  slight  form, 
themselves  so  weakened  as  to  stagger  under  the 
small  weight,  and  bore  it  to  the  shadow  of  the 
forest.  Then  they  brought  sea  water  and 
bathed  her  face  and  neck  until  presently  the 
closed  eyes  opened  once  more. 

Any  further  advance  was  out  of  the  question 
for  that  day,  and  the  party  made  themselves  as 
comfortable  as  possible.  But  the  rest  brought 
little  change  in  their  physical  condition  save  an 
added  loss  of  strength,  and  morning  found  Mil- 
dred unable  to  continue  the  journey.  A  thor- 
ough search  of  the  immediate  neighborhood 
failed  to  reveal  any  water  except  the  salt  sea 
before  them,  and  there  seemed  to  be  nothing  for 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

them  but  to  remain  where  they  were  until  death 
should  end  their  sufferings.  As  they  sat  gazing 
listlessly  out  over  the  sunlit  ocean,  Harrie 
jumped  suddenly  to  his  feet  with  a  loud  cry  of 
hope. 

"A  sail!  a  sail!"  he  cried.    "I  see  a  sail!" 


-349- 


CHAPTER  XI. 

ALL'S  WELL  THAT  ENDS  WELL. 

DR.   THORNTON  and  Leigh  sprang  quickly  to 
their  feet  as  Harrie's  joyous  cry  rang  out,  and 
even  Mildred  roused  enough  to  inquire  eagerly : 
"Oh,  are  you  sure!     Where  is  it?" 
"Yes,  I  am  sure,"  the  lad  returned  excitedly. 
"See,  yonder  it  is,  out  there  by  the  reef." 

He  was  right.  A  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the 
beach  a  long,  heaving  line  of  surf  marked  the 
location  of  a  coral  reef,  and  in  the  narrow  pas- 
sage at  one  end  of  this  barrier  the  castaways 
saw  a  small  two-masted  lugger,  making  in 
towards  the  shore.  No  sooner  were  they  cer- 
tain that  the  vessel  was  not  a  delusion  of  their 
fevered  brains  than  all  three  ran  down  upon  the 
strand,  shouting  aloud  for  help. 

-350- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

Their  voices  were  harsh  and  cracked  from 
thirst,  and  feeble  from  their  weakened  condi- 
tion, but  for  all  that  they  managed  to  make 
sufficient  noise  to  attract  the  attention  of  the 
crew  of  the  lugger,  which  presently  came  up 
into  the  wind,  and  let  go  her  anchor,  while  a 
small  boat  containing  two  men  put  off  from  her 
side. 

As  the  oncoming  craft  drew  near  the  Ameri- 
cans saw  to  their  disappointment  that  the  occu- 
pants were  natives  and  not  of  their  own  race 
as  they  had  hoped.  The  rowers  were  dressed, 
however,  in  a  civilized  costume,  or  what  was  in- 
tended as  such,  .so  that  the  castaways  did  not 
entirely  lose  heart. 

The  newcomers,  for  their  part,  regarded  the 
little  party  with  glances  of  the  greatest  amaze- 
ment, which  were  not  altogether  unwarranted. 
For  they  were  truly  a  strange  and  pitiful  sight. 
Their  clothing  was  in  tatters  from  its  many 
rough  encounters  with  thickets  and  briars ;  their 
hair  was  long  and  matted;  the  physician's  beard 
had  grown  to  formidable  proportions;  their 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

faces  were  dark  from  continual  exposure; 
while  their  forms  were  gaunt  and  wasted  from 
their  terrible  privations. 

The  boat  came  to  a  stop  just  off  shore,  and 
ene  of  the  oarsmen  called  out  in  broken  Eng- 
lish: 

1 '  Who  you  ?    What  you  want  ? ' ' 

"We  are  castaways,"  Dr.  Thornton  returned 
quickly,  * '  and  have  been  for  some  days  without 
food  or  drink.  We  desire  to  be  carried  to  some 
trading  station.  Can  you  take  us  to  such  a 
place  ? ' ' 

"What  you  pay?"  came  the  counter  query. 

* '  Whatever  you  wish,  when  we  reach  a  settle- 
ment," was  the  prompt  response. 

The  men  consulted  to  gether  for  a  moment 
or  two,  and  then  the  one  who  had  acted  as 
spokesman  asked  still  another  question: 

"You  give  twenty  pound?" 

"Yes,  gladly,  just  as  soon  as  we  arrive  at  our 
destination,"  the  physician  hastened  to  assure 
him. 

"All  right,"  and  with  the  words  the  boat  was 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

skillfully  brought  to  land  just  before  the  wait- 
ing Americans.  The  natives  jumped  out, 
swung  their  craft  around  until  its  bow  was 
headed  outward,  and  held  it  while  one  by  one 
the  castaways  took  their  place  on  board.  Then 
they  shoved  off  and  pulled  for  the  lugger. 

The  brief  trip  was  made  in  silence,  and  the 
party  were  soon  on  the  vessel 's  deck,  where  they 
found  the  rest  of  the  crew,  two  brown-skinned 
Malays,  awaiting  their  coining.  A  disagreeable, 
fishy  smell  pervaded  the  air,  which  they  learned 
later  was  due  to  the  cargo  of  pearl  oysters  with 
which  the  hold  was  filled. 

Food  and  water  were  brought,  and  under  the 
direction  of  the  physician  they  partook  of  their 
first  meal.  He  would  allow  them  to  eat  only  a 
very  small  amount  at  first,  but  after  a  short  in- 
terval the  repast  was  repeated,  and  this  was 
continued  until  their  weakened  stomachs  became 
in  a  measure  accustomed  to  receiving  nourish- 
ment once  more. 

Upon  making  some  inquiries  Dr.  Thornton 
found  that  the  vessel  was  in  the  pearl  fishing 

-358- 


\ 

THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

trade,  with  headquarters  at  Thursday  Island, 
Torres  Strait.  The  native  diver  was  in  com- 
mand, with  a  crew  composed  of  one  South  Sea 
Islander  and  two  Malays.  They  had  been  out 
for  ten  days,  and  were  nearly  ready  to  begin 
their  return  voyage,  having  stopped  at  the  reef 
to  secure  the  small  amount  of  shells  necessary  to 
complete  their  usual  cargo. 

The  quarters  on  the  little  craft  were  none  too 
desirable,  but  after  their  long  series  of  hard- 
ships the  wanderers  were  not  disposed  to  be 
over  critical.  The  sea  air  did  much  to  aid  them 
in  regaining  their  lost  strength,  and  when,  five 
days  later,  they  arrived  at  Thursday  Island, 
they  hardly  seemed  the  same  persons  who  had 
been  so  near  to  death  on  the  New  Guinea  coast. 

They  found  that  the  town  consisted  of  one 
long  street,  lined  for  the  most  part  with  stores 
and  low  groggeries,  from  which  a  noisy,  drunk- 
en crowd  of  whites  and  natives  issued  into  the 
thoroughfare.  The  houses  of  the  residents 
were  scattered  about  the  numerous  islands, 

-354- 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

large  and  small,  which  were  visible  in  every  di- 
rection. 

A  visit  to  the  police  magistrate  resulted  in  a 
hearty  welcome  from  the  official,  who  listened 
in  amazement  to  their  lengthy  narrative,  and 
did  all  in  his  power  to  render  their  stay  pleasant 
and  enjoyable.  He  insisted  that  they  should 
make  his  dwelling  their  home,  and  kindly  ad- 
vanced the  funds  necessary  for  paying  their 
passage  in  the  lugger. 

He  told  them  that  not  only  was  the  settlement 
the  headquarters  of  the  Torres  Strait  Pearl 
fisheries,  but  that  it  was  under  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  Colony  of  Queensland,  and  was  also  a 
regular  port  of  call  for  a  number  of  steamship 
lines  plying  between  Australian  ports  and 
points  on  the  coast  of  Asia. 

From  him,  too,  they  learned  more  of  the  pearl 
fishing  trade. 

''Yes,  there  is  quite  a  profit  in  the  business," 
he  said  in  answer  to  Dr.  Thornton's  question- 
ings. "The  fishing  is  done  entirely  by  the  na- 
tive divers,  who  will  not  permit  a  white  man  to 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

accompany  them.  They  make  use  of  our  diving 
suits,  however.  The  luggers,  of  which  the  one 
you  came  in  on  is  a  fair  sample,  go  out  for 
cruises  of  ten  days '  or  two  weeks '  duration. 

"The  divers  are  paid  so  much  per  hundred 
shells  and  often  earn  as  much  as  twenty  pounds 
—one  hundred  dollars  in  your  money— in  a  sin- 
gle week.  They  are  a  drunken,  profligate  set 
and  squander  their  earnings  in  the  groggeries 
here  and  at  Sydney.  The  shell,  after  sorting 
and  packing,  is  sent  to  London,  where  it  brings 
from  ninety  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds 
per  ton,  according  to  quality.  The  shell  is  not 
so  plentiful  as  formerly,  and  the  profits  are  not 
so  large." 

"Do  not  the  oysters  also  furnish  pearls  of 
great  value  ? ' '  inquired  Leigh. 

"They  are  found  occasionally,"  the  official 
returned,  *  *  but  not  so  frequently  as  is  generally 
supposed. ' ' 

A  week's  sojourn  with  the  magistrate  at  his 
pleasant  residence  overlooking  the  town  and 
adjacent  islands  brought  back  the  lost  roses  to 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

Mildred's  pale  cheeks,  and  when  the  party  took 
their  departure  for  Sydney  on  the  morning  of 
the  eighth  day,  all  were  in  the  best  of  health  and 
spirits. 

The  run  down  the  coast  was  an  uneventful 
one,  and  they  arrived  at  the  metropolis  of  New 
South  Wales  just  in  time  to  catch  the  steamer 
for  San  Francisco.  The  long  journey  across 
the  Pacific  came  to  an  end  at  last,  and  when  the 
shores  of  the  American  continent  were  sighted 
late  one  afternoon  the  wanderers  began  to  feel 
that  their  hardships  were  really  at  an  end. 

The  news  of  their  journey  across  New  Guinea 
had  preceded  them,  and  a  throng  of  friends 
were  awaiting  them  as  the  great  vessel  swung 
into  her  dock.  Dr.  Thornton's  sister,  who  was 
also  his  housekeeper,  for  Harrie's  mother  had 
died  when  the  boy  was  barely  two  years  old, 
was  there  to  welcome  the  two  whom  she  had 
long  regarded  as  dead.  Leigh's  parents  were 
there  with  warm  greetings  for  the  son  whom 
they  had  feared  never  to  see  again.  The  re- 
porters were  also  in  evidence,  eager  to  receive 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

the  story  direct  from  the  lips  of  the  travelers 
themselves. 

But  the  physician  put  the  representatives  of 
the  press  aside,  and  the  two  re-united  families 
were  driven  hastily  to  the  palatial  home  of  the 
specialist,  hoping  there  to  escape  further  inter- 
ruption. Barely  were  they  seated  in  the  library, 
however,  before  there  came  a  fierce  ring  at  the 
door  bell.  Dr.  Thornton  himself  answered  the 
summons,  to  be  confronted  by  a  tall,  slender 
man,  with  hair  prematurely  grey,  and  a  weary, 
hungry  look  in  his  deep  set  eyes.  He  caught 
the  gentleman  by  the  arm,  and  thrust  a  news- 
paper into  his  face  crying  hoarsely : 

"Tell  me,  is  that  true?    Is  it  true?" 

Decidedly  taken  aback  at  this  greeting  the 
physician  glanced  at  the  page  before  him  to  see, 
set  off  with  flaring  headlines,  a  long  account  of 
his  own  trip  across  the  great  island,  closing  with 
the  statement  that  the  travelers  had  met  with 
and  released  a  young  American  girl  who  had 
been  held  a  prisoner  by  one  of  the  inland  tribes. 

"Is    that    true!"    demanded    the    stranger, 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

fiercely,  when  he  saw  that  his  host  had  read  the 
item,  "tell  me  quick!" 

"Why,  yes,"  Dr.  Thornton  assented,  "though 
I  don't  see  how  the  reporters  got  hold  of  it." 

"And  the  girl's  name?"  pressed  the  man  anx- 
iously. "What  was  the  name?" 

"Mildred  Raynor,"  said  the  physician,  a 
light  breaking  in  upon  his  bewildered  brain. 

"Thank  God!  Thank  God!"  ejaculated  his 
visitor,  his  face  working  strongly. 

"You  are  her  father?"  queried  the  Doctor, 
eyeing  him  keenly. 

"I  am,"  came  the  reply,  "and,  oh,  sir,  take 
me  to  her  at  once,  I  beg  of  you ! ' ' 

"Come  with  me,"  and  Dr.  Thornton  led  the 
way  to  the  parlor.  "Wait  here  a  moment, 
while  I  go  for  Mildred, ' '  he  commanded. 

Then  he  went  to  prepare  the  unsuspecting 
girl  for  the  interview.  That  it  was  a  tender  one 
need  not  be  said.  How  could  it  be  otherwise 
when  the  father  and  daughter,  so  long  sepa- 
rated, were  together  once  more,  and  both  hearts 
were  overflowing  with  j 


THROUGH  AN  UNKNOWN  ISLE. 

The  lads  insisted  that  Mr.  Raynor  and  Mil- 
dred should  remain  in  San  Francisco  for  a  num- 
ber of  weeks,  to  which  the  physician  added  a 
hearty  invitation  for  them  to  make  his  home 
their  own.  To  this  arrangement  the  manufac- 
turer readily  assented,  and  when  the  parting 
did  come,  and  the  young  girl  left  for  her  eastern 
home,  it  was  with  the  understanding  that  the 
friendship  begun  in  the  tropic  jungles  of  New 
Guinea  should  never  be  suffered  to  grow  dim. 

And  of  late  it  has  been  whispered  in  several 
quarters  that  when  Harrie  graduates  from  col- 
lege, where  he  is  now  a  staid  Senior,  he  will  set 
up  a  home  of  his  own  in  which  the  chief  orna- 
ment will  be  "The  Golden  Lily"  which  he 
found  "In  the*  Wilds"  during  his  strange 
journey  "Through  the  Unknown  Isle." 

THE    END. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

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